Modern Me in Middle Earth
by DreamingIn2Eternity
Summary: A modern day twenty year old finds herself in Middle Earth. No magical survival skills, no special talents, entirely dependent on strangers-she literally is the epitome of anyone of us in the same situation. Written entirely from main character's p.o.v.
1. A Typical Monday Night

Hi! I'm DreamingIn2Eternity!

A little about me and this story: This is my first story written entirely from the first person point of view (if you have any suggestions to help me with this, please let me know-I'd really appreciate the advice). I'm not a very good 'story writer' (my skills in writing tend to lean more towards poetry), but I love constructive criticism and am willing to learn.

Because of the nature of this story, warnings (should they apply) will be posted prior to the start of each chapter. This is done so that when a chapter contains something that may be of a sensitive nature for some readers, they will know about it before hand and be able to choose, if they wish, to continue reading.

Summary: A modern day twenty year old American finds herself in Tolkien's Middle Earth. No magical survival skills, no special talents to help her survive, entirely dependent on strangers she can't even speak to-she literally is the epitome of anyone of us in the same situation. Just a warning for those that my not like it; She _**will**_ eventually meet up with the Fellowship. (I promise it will only be for a short time however, and she shouldn't mess with the general story line in any way. Aka:everything that is supposed to happen according to Tolkien's original work will still happen.

As the title indicates, this is 'Modern _Me_ in Middle Earth', so it will be safe for you to assume that the main character is very similar to your authoress. Please consider this when writing a review! I will do my best to remain objective while reading reviews and during a critique.

_Rating:_ As of now this story will be rated T however, this may (and probably will) change later in the story. I plan to describe everything the character sees, feels, and thinks while spending time in a land threatened/experiencing war.

_Disclaimer:_ Middle Earth and all of its characters and places, and anything else associated with_ Lord of the Rings_ (or any other recognizable figure) belong to Tolkien/respectful owners. I'm merely borrowing them for the sake of this story which is a Fan-fiction. The only character/thing I own is myself (hence the Modern _Me_ part of the title).

_'Italics within single quotations indicate sounds'_

_Plain Italics indicate thoughts._

**Warnings:** The character's religious practices are mentioned. Also the stories and authors named later, as of October 21st, 2011, do not exist-I checked to make sure. If they do show up on this site, there is no correlation between this story and their site/stories-just coincidence.

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_'Ding-Dong-Ding-Dong... Ding-Dong-Ding-Ding..._

_Ding..._

_Ding...'_

My schools clock tower chimed loudly as I walked past. _Ten o-clock_. Pulling my coat tighter around me, I turned away from the cold night wind blowing through campus. Ahead of me, lit up with bright lights and red neon lettering, was the campus 'mall'. My destination; the Taco Bell within.

_'Ding..._

_Ding...'_

I had just finished with my late night biology-lab class. It had been a long day, starting with an eight o-clock a.m. chemistry lecture. Since all of the campus dining halls were closed at eight, each monday (after ending lab around ten) I treated myself to Taco Bell, under the excuse that I deserved a treat after a fourteen hour day.

"Hello, what can I get for you?" The girl at the register asks me. I recognize her face, I believe she works every other monday. I tell her my order, reciting the same thing I always chose;

"A number seven-chicken, please. With a soft taco"

"Certainly, and to drink?"

"Lemonade, please"

"Alright, so I have a number seven-chicken, with a soft taco and lemonade, correct?"

"Yes"

"Anything else?"

"No"

She reads me my total and takes my money. A few minutes later a gentleman, that I recognize as the manager, brings me my order.

"Here you are. Have a nice night" He says as I turn to leave.

"Thank you, you too"

My next destination, my dorm, is just behind the campus mall-thankfully only a minute's walk away. Hugging my food to my chest, against my down-feather coat, I walk quickly to the security doors. Upon entering, I show my school ID to the front desk personnel and then head upstairs.

My room, a single on the forth floor of the hall, is a welcomed sight. Its heavy door, decorated with a poster bearing my name, Danielle, opens to a dark, slightly messy room. Dropping my bags and coat by the door, I head over to my desk to eat. After a brief prayer, I take off my glasses and begin to eat, simultaneously opening my laptop. After connecting to Fanfiction(dot)net, I login to the _Lord of the Rings_ story archive.

_Search: [All Genres] _

_Rating: [All] _

_Language: [English]_

_Length: [All]_

_Characters A: [Legolas]... _

_[Go]._

I suppose I'll just admit it, I'm a fangirl... not just of Legolas, mind you, but of all elves. There is just a wider selection of Legolas stories out there. The stories appear on the page according to most recently updated;

_ Leggy and I -by leglessluver42_

_ Lady Butiful Silverwulf Butterfly was the most beautifulist in all the land. But Surunman wants her. R&R plze!_

_Definitely NOT. Next._

_How Secrets Can Kill.__ -by LordoftheRingsFanficWriter_

_ What happens when a beautiful elleth shows up unconscious on the steps of the Mirkwood palace? How did she get there? Why is she so secretive about her past? Will Legolas always hide his feelings from her? LegolasXOC Don't like it, Don't read it!_

_Not liking the sound of that one either..._

After about ten minutes of searching, I finally found a story that I enjoyed; A Question of Faith -by FeathersintheNight. Basically, this was your typical 'girl falls into Middle Earth' story, only it was exceptionally well written. I had fallen behind a few chapters due to school but, true to her amazing authoress self, FeathersintheNight was always the consistent updater.

After finishing the most recent chapter, I turn to my clock. _12:00 a.m.- I should probably be getting to bed now._ With that thought in mind, I logout of fanfiction and get changed into my pajamas. After throwing the Taco Bell garbage away and moving my ballet slippers from my backpack to my closet, I pull out my toothbrush and toothpaste and head to the community bathroom.

Upon returning, I subconsciously run through my evening emergency check list. _Keys: hanging on bedpost. Slippers: next to door. Coat: hanging up with easy access in closet. Flashlight, glasses, and phone: on nightstand. Clear path to door and window? Check. O.k, everything is the way it should be. _

As silly as this seems, it's been a habit of mine to be over-prepared/worrisome, in the case of a possible emergency, since I was a little girl. Not to mention the fact that I'm living in a dorm with five-hundred-ish other college students... sometimes stupid things happen (i.e the fire alarm going off at four a.m!).

With everything in order for the night, I lock my door and turn off the lights-ready for a good nights sleep.

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_Thank you for reading! Please leave a review!_

**_!PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING AUTHORS NOTES!_**

From this point onward, this story will descriptively involve itself with the challenges that this _female _character will go through. Some topics that will eventually be covered are:

The character's religion

Some stereotypes that come along with the character's culture

Bodily needs (including the 'magic time of month')

The character's health without daily medication (this includes physical _and mental_ health)

I am sure that there will be more added to this list as the story continues, and I will always post an additional warning (in the authors notes prior to the chapter) if I feel a new topic may be uncomfortable for some readers.

IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH READING ABOUT ANY OF THE ABOVE TOPICS (OR THOSE ADDED LATER IN THE STORY), PLEASE FIND ANOTHER STORY TO READ.

I have the utmost respect for others opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles _however, _I do not want to receive a review that depreciates and/or rudely challenges topics listed in the warning section(s). A_nyone whom feels the need to disrespectfully state their opinion (especially regarding any of the above topics) will no longer be given the right to review_. This is both for my sanity and for the sanity of other readers. If I end up having to remove anonymous reviews I will, fanfiction(dot)net is not a debate site, please go somewhere else to argue your views.

If you ever have a question regarding the material in the story, please do not hesitate to P.M. me or leave a question in a review-I will answer your question to the best of my ability.

I welcome reviews stating your general thoughts (i.e 'I like it' , 'I don't like it') and the reasons behind them (but please be considerate on how you word your reasons-you'd be surprised how important diction is when commenting on something), any true critiquing I should be able to handle just fine (yay college creative writing class!).

_Your authoress thanks you for following the above requests! :D_


	2. Day One

**Warnings:** The character's religion is discussed and there is some mild language.

_Italics _denote thoughts

* * *

_It cannot be morning already! _Burying my head further into my arms, I tried to fend off the light passing through my eyelids. A cold sweep of air blew over my skin.

_Dammit! Where did my blanket go?_

Reaching blindly around me I attempted to find my blanket. My hand brushed over something hard. _Hmm, did I leave a pencil in my bed the other day? _Pushing it to the side I continued my search, another cold sweep of air blew over me, my chest clenches in frustration. _Stupid fan, I thought I left you on 'stationary', not 'rotate'!_ Sighing, I tell myself to calm down. _No need to be grumpy first thing in the morning._

I take a deep breath in, and freeze in place as an out of place, but familiar, smell accompanies the air I take in. _What the...? _Bolting into a sitting position, I squint as the bright sunlight accosts my eyes. When they adjust, I begin to panic.

_Where am I?..._

_What- ?_

_What the hell?_

Around me, as far as the eye could see, were trees.

"Hello?" I called out, questioningly into the distance, "HELLO? CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?"

No answer. Jumping to my feet, I tried again.

"_HELLO!"_

Silence.

I panicked. Looking wildly around, I tried to find something that could give me answers.

_What the hell? Where the hell am I? What happened after I locked my door last night?_ I began to feel faint as the severity of my situation settled in. Sitting down defeated, I brought my knees to my chest and buried my head in my arms. I began to cry.

The sickening terror that accompanied the knowledge of not knowing where I was, or how I had gotten here, did not wane as my frenzied thoughts searched fruitlessly for answers. The anxiety I was feeling was so intense that I moved my hand to my heart, as if placing it there would make the overwhelming clenching go away. As I shifted, I felt something brush against my hand. Looking down, I was surprised to find my crucifix still hanging around my neck. My gaze shifted to the ring finger of my right hand-my Confirmation(1) ring was still there too. Seeing these artifacts instantly reminded me that I was not _entirely_ alone.

"Pray… God has always helped you when you pray… just pray… God, Jesus, Joseph, Mary _help me, please, please, help me..." _I begged, while reciting my prayers in a mantric form.

After several minutes of praying, and a few deep breaths, I had managed to stop crying enough to observe my surroundings. The sun, just before (or past) it's zenith lit up the red, orange, and yellow leaves around me. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but it was very humid. Knowing that it would be a while before I could tell direction by watching the sun, I turned to the trees around me.

Much to my dismay, I found that whatever idiot had said that moss grew best on the north side of the tree, had obviously never been stuck alone in a relatively dense forest before. Grasping my crucifix in a clenched hand I took another deep breath.

_At least you still have your cross and ring... _

_I wonder if...? _My hands reached up to my ears._ Yes! They are! _A slight surge of happiness swept through me. It was quickly followed by confusion.

_Why on earth would I still have my jewelry? _

I would have thought that they would have disappeared with whom ever had brought me out here. They were not worth much, but were still worth something; after all, my ring is solid white gold, my earrings are yellow gold posts with pink heart shaped crystals in them, and my cross, being made of sterling silver with small (very small) diamond pieces in it, hanging on an extremely fine chain-was perhaps worth the most of the three pieces. I would have expected my cross and its chain, at the very least, to have disappeared with whomever had brought me here.

Thinking of the person responsible for this prompted me to find out how I ended up here in the first place. Much to my dismay, I found no cuts, bruises, needle punctures, or anything indicating that I had been drugged by external means and/or had put up a fight against the individual(s) responsible for my current situation.

_Seriously? What the hell? _

I have never been a sleep walker, and even if I was, its highly unlikely that I managed to sleep walk down four flights of stairs, past the security desk, through campus, the city, and into the surrounding forests without _someone_ noticing. Especially considering its the middle of winter back home, and I was (and still am) wearing my pajamas that consisted of a tank top and shorts.

_Where on Earth is it mid-late fall when the Northern United States is in the middle of winter?_

Realizing that I definitely wasn't in the same state, let alone possibly the same country, my panic returned ten-fold.

_Oh my God... _

"Oh my God, _ohmyGod_! Where on Earth am I?" I cried, looking up at the blue sky, begging for some sort of answer.

I returned to my original position, curled in on myself with my head in my arms, and cried hysterically for God-only-knows how long.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally calmed down. Looking up to evaluate the sun's position again, I found that it had moved down closer to the horizon on my left.

Realizing that I wasn't going to come up with answers any time soon, and was soon going to run out of daylight if I didn't get moving, I did the only thing left to do: figure out how I was going to survive.

_Who would have thought I would actually need my third grade Girl Scout 'survival' training?_

The remainder of the day was spent mapping out my immediate surroundings, collecting firewood, and attempting (and failing miserably) to create a fire. I had made a temporary home out of a nice looking tree, and still hadn't found water. Aside from my non-existent fire, lack of water and occasional panic attacks, my only other immediate worry was the cold wind and the intimidating thunder clouds that it carried.

On the brighter side of things, I had yet to meet any animal larger and more vicious then a rabbit.

* * *

Night fell and I found myself unable to sleep, trapped in the pitch black of the nighttime forest. Immobilized by my temporary blindness, I relied on my hearing to keep me safe. The hoot of an owl in the distance, the wind through the leaves- they were frightening reminders of my impairment. 'Total and complete darkness' was immediately added to my list of fears.

I need light. Just a little bit of it.

_God, please send me a little bit of light to see by..._

I prayed. I prayed for some form of light, for warmth, for my family and myself. I prayed for help to come.

I needed some form of light, anything to help me see _something_.

I did not wait long for my prayers to be answered. The thunderstorm began late in the evening, sending crackling lightening across they sky, which was followed by roars of thunder that shook the forest. My prayers had been answered, but now I was debating weather it was really worth it.

_Seriously? Did someone up there really need to pull the 'be careful what you wish for' card?_ I asked myself, looking up through the rain. Shaking my head irritated and frustrated, I curled in tighter upon myself, trying to keep the little warmth I had as close to me as possible. The freezing rain and cold wind were not helping matters.

At the mercy of my thoughts and overwhelmed mind, panic, frustration, confusion, and fear reigned anew. My thoughts never strayed to far from the moment however; every few minutes the storm viciously reminded me of its presence. _Complete and total darkness versus a terrifying thunderstorm-what kind of a choice is that? _

The storm intensified as the night progressed and, like a little girl again, I found myself squeezing my eyes shut against the bright flashes of light, curling in tightly on myself and covering my ears to block out the thunder…

...wanting to call out to Mommy and Daddy on the other side of the house.

_My parents..._

Thinking of my parents was a bad idea-it sent me to tears again. Between missing/worrying for them, my two sisters, and the dog, not to mention spending the night in an unknown place, feeling the occasional bug crawl over my leg, and the raging thunderstorm- I didn't even doze off.

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First of all, Thank you to everyone who keeps leaving a review (especially those reviews with suggestions/recommendations for the story in them)-you've all given me several things to think about, and I really apppreciate it. :)

(1)Confirmation is a religious sacrament in the Catholic faith. It is the time when a child becomes an adult in the church, after choosing to remain a Catholic. This choice is made by the individual, without the influence of that individuals parents/guardians so that, if the individual doesn't wish to remain a Catholic, their parents/guardians do not try to force them otherwise (the individuals parents/guardians are the ones whom had chosen for the individual (when he or she was a child) to be raised as a Catholic).

The Confirmation Ring is not a normal part of the sacrament (to my knowledge). For my sisters and me, it was a gift from our parents as a result of choosing to be confirmed. I don't know where my parents came up with the idea, so I don't know if it is their own tradition, or if it exists in our faith and is simply not a common practice.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!

Special thanks to Ragnelle and Obscure bird for their critiques that reminded me to answer the questions 'what's the point', and 'why should I care about this character'. Thank you!


	3. Day Two

**Warnings:** personal care is mentioned and language

_Italics_ denotes thoughts

Thank you to everyone who keeps leaving a review!

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To my right, hope rose above the horizon. The sun, and the warmth it carried, was a welcomed reprieve from the storm retreating with the twilight. Throughly soaked to my bones and utterly exhausted from a sleepless night, I stiffly rose from my shelter and scanned my surroundings.

To my right, not far from my camp, I could hear moving water-moving water that definitely was not there yesterday. Half panicked, half relieved, I debated my options of looking into the matter or running from it.

On the one hand, it was water-a resource that I struggled to find yesterday, on the other, that area definitely did not have water there yesterday, which meant that this forest area was possibly a runoff/flood zone.

_Stay or leave?_

To stay could risk becoming trapped in a flash flood, to leave would mean finding a new 'home' and new resources- and still possibly get caught in a flash flood.

With the possible threat of an impending flash flood, and no drinkable water that I was willing to approach, leaving seemed to be the best option.

"And go where?" I asked myself, deflated by the realization that I didn't know where to go to get to definite safety. My heart clenched as I was reminded, yet again, that I was lost. Looking around desperately, as if the answer would just materialize out of thin air, I panicked as I realized that I had no way of knowing which direction to head in.

"Don't freak out, just think about it for a moment" I told myself, trying to calm my nerves, "It's like a math problem, you have a problem that has a solution, you just need to find it"

_Ok, find a solution to the problem._

_What is the problem? _

_I'm lost._

_The solution? _

_Can't do anything about that, so don't bother thinking about it._

_Ok... what is another problem?_

_I may be in a flood zone._

_The solution? _

_Get out of it._

_No shit Sherlock!_

"God, that is so much easier said than done" I sighed, looking up to the sky exasperated.

_How am I supposed to get out of a flood zone when I don't know where I am?_

_Move uphill._

Looking around me and my previous nights shelter, my next problem presented itself;

_No obvious change in elevation._

Sitting back down, dismayed and frustrated, I put my head in my hands and ran through the same questions again, this time muttering them aloud to myself.

"Problem: I'm lost... can't do anything about that. I need to get out of the flood zone and have no idea how to"

"Lost-" I repeated to myself again, "_Ignore_ that. Need to get out of the flood zone. Don't know how to."

_Stop and think about the problem, stupid._

_"_Problem; I'm in a flood zone. Wait, that's not the problem. The problem is that I don't know how to _get out_ of the flood zone"

_Keep going..._

_"_How do I get out of the flood zone? Go up." I wasn't getting anywhere fast.

_And how can you tell if you are going up?..._

..."I have no idea"...

_Think about it, you're smarter than this._

"Come-on! Think about it" I scolded myself. I know, talking to myself, scolding myself, it's kinda pathetic. But really, what else was there for me to do?

_Ok, lets try a different approach. __What is something that I've learned that I could use?_

Why is it that your mind draws a blank at the times that you need it most? Frustrated at my complete lack of answers, I picked up a small stone next to me and threw it as hard as I could. It landed a few yards in front of me where I spent the next few minutes glaring at it as it lay on the ground. And then it hit me-

"Duh!" I exclaimed, as the palm of my hand met my forehead, "Gravity! Gravity pulls things downward!"

_So what now?_

_"_Find out which way the water is flowing and follow it upstream!"

Turning to my right and following my ears, I headed towards the water. Not long after passing my markers from yesterdays venture, rocks set into a design and sticks piled together unnaturally, I breathed a sigh of relief upon reaching my destination.

Before me, a small gully had taken on last night's runoff water, channeling it from my left to my right, and deeper within the forest.

Satisfied that I was not likely in any immediate danger, I began my trek upstream.

Midday I stopped to rest in a sunny glade. It was another humid day, and my clothes were still very damp. After following the gully all day, I was no longer worried about a flash flood, since the gully had obviously been there for a long time. I was however, still leery about approaching the gully's edge. I couldn't tell how deep it was, or if the dirt banks were strong enough to hold my weight. Despite my thirst, I opted to wait for a more visually stable area before approaching the waters edge.

I was throughly exhausted after walking half a day with no food and water, and I really wanted to sleep. I could feel a tickle in my throat starting from being in the cold rain last night, and I'm sure my wet clothes were not helping matters either. Sleep hopefully wouldn't be an issue, drying myself and my clothes, however…

Yeah… insert the awkward moment when I realized what drying off will entail.

For the first time since my arrival yesterday, I noticed the complete lack of privacy-and how much I needed to use the restroom. Heading back the way I came, I quickly realized my appreciation of modern appliances (a tree and a bush offer little comfort for privacy, and washing my hands was left to improvisation).

After finishing my business, I headed back upstream to the glade I had found. Glancing around me, to make sure no one was watching, because someone is always watching when you have to do something embarrassing like this, I began to undress. After spreading my white tank top and polka-dotted short shorts next to me in the sun, I covered my now bare chest with my arms, and debated removing the remainder of my undergarments.

There wasn't much debate, it wasn't happening.

* * *

I wasn't able to sleep when I had stopped in the glade, call it stress, embarrassment, or hunger, sleep was not in the near future for me. After I and my clothes had dried off, I redressed and continued upstream- in search of shelter and food. Unfortunately, I was feeling the effects of to little sleep during the second half of the day; I was disoriented and clumsy-not a very good combination while in the middle of a forest.

Just as dusk had arrived, I found an adequate shelter next to a small tree. A very large bush, large enough to fit a five foot seven female for the night, was my new home. After such a long and overwhelming day, I had become indifferent to the bugs, and spent the last few minutes of my sunlight counting the pink and purple polka-dots on my blue shorts, wondering if I would find some sort of food tomorrow. I was starting to get shaky and light headed, and that was never a good sign.

The night was clear and windy, and still unable to sleep-despite my exhaustion and hunger-, I said my prayers and watched the stars, trying to identify any constellations I might know.

It didn't do much good, nothing was familiar to me.

Finally after a few hours of praying and watching/counting the stars, I began to doze off-only to be startled awake a moment later by rustling behind me. Sitting up and spinning around to face the source of the sound I stared wide-eyed into the darkness, what ever produced that noise was too large to be a rabbit.

For a few long moments, I didn't even breathe. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my pulse was loud and obstructing in my ears. I silently recited my mantra of prayers as the rustling noises continued moving closer and closer, until finally something caused the animal to move away. Once it was out of earshot, I sighed in relief and settled my back next to the tree for another sleepless night.

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Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!


	4. Day Three

Authors Note: For those whom have been waiting for this new chapter, you may want to go back and reread chapter one at the very least. It had an extreme make over last night. :D Chapters two and three were also edited.

**Warnings:** Implied abuse and rape toward secondary characters.

_Italics _denote thoughts

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Day three was wet and cold. A steady rain had moved in a few hours before sunrise and thankfully, it wasn't anywhere near as heavy as the rain from the previous night. In fact, beneath my bush, I was comfortably dry, with only the occasional drops of rain reaching me here and there. Rather then getting up and moving as soon as the sun rose, I waited a while, hoping for the rain to fade. Unfortunately, sitting and waiting brought back the reminder that I hadn't eaten or drank in at least two full days.

_Food and water... sound really good right about now._

The emotional exhaustion of day one, combined with the physical exhaustion of day two had my food reserves running on empty. Day three, for this hypoglycemic(1) twenty year old, was going to be full of shaking, headaches, slurred speech, and clumsy movements. If I wasn't careful, I would fall unconscious, and never wake up.

I waited beneath my bush for a few hours but the rain just kept falling harder, and thunder could be heard in the distance.

_Great. Just what I need; another thunderstorm._

With nothing else to do but move forward and pray, I left my shelter and continued upstream, again. Today however, there were many more breaks, most of which consisted of sitting down with my head up and mouth open to catch raindrops. It wasn't enough, but it would have to do.

As the day moved on, the storm kept getting more and more severe. It was quickly becoming a powerful rival for the storm from the other night; lightening began to strike the trees and the rain fell in sheets. By midday I was forced to take shelter beneath a collection of small trees. I couldn't sleep, despite the fact that I was desperate too, so I prayed, watched the storm, and the whole five feet of my surroundings that I could see through the rain.

Fortunately, while I waited out the storm, my body calmed down a little; I wasn't shaking anywhere near as badly as I had been earlier in the day. The storm finally left late in the evening, uncovering the brilliant bright starlight of the non-light polluted sky. The beautiful light that had now emerged with the stars, made my surroundings semi-visible.

I was in a much less dense area of the forest. The bright starlight illuminated the wet leaves, and cast a shadow on the forest floor. With the storm gone, everything had become very quiet-only the occasional drip of water could be heard. Almost methodic in its falling, the drips of water slowly bade me to sleep.

An owl in the distance to my left...

Something small scurrying...

The occasional voice...

_A voice?_ Bolting upright, eyes wide and searching, I cursed my traitorous pulse as it again filled my ears.

_There it is again!_ Ahead of me, some distance away, was a voice! A _human_ voice! There were people in this forest! That meant help! _Food_!

With a renewed burst of energy, I almost jogged towards the sound of the voices. As I proceeded, a faint fire light came into view, and the voices became louder, and my hope grew.

_Finally! I can get back home!_

I began to call out to them only a few hundred feet away, but stopped myself short when I had a relatively clear view of their camp-my heart fell.

Before me was indeed a beautiful fire, surrounded by people and food. But in the far corner of the camp, there were also people bound by chains and tied to the trees. Looking through the camp again with a more critical eye, I was dismayed to find abusive and promiscuous activities occurring around all of the eating and drinking. The longer I watched, the more disgusted and horrified I became, and I froze, not sure what to do next.

The instinctual part of me said, "_Go dammit! You need food, shelter and water_" but a more cautious side of me said, "_Don't! It's not worth it"_. I battled with myself for sometime, unable to make a decision.

The decision was made for me.

One of the free individuals turned to the captives and chose a girl about my age from the group. My heart and gut clenched when I realized he intended to involve her in his activities. Turning away from the terrible site, I came upon the sickening realization that there was absolutely _nothing_ I could do for the captives except pray-which at the moment, didn't feel like enough.

Trying in vain to block out the girl's cries of protest, I turned and quietly made my way back to my shelter- only to be startled out of my prayers and look back when someone from the camp called out in my direction. Someone had spotted me, and called out to me in a language that I did not understand-the language I realized, as my heart dropped, that they had been speaking the entire time.

Seeing a bright flash of silver, and hearing the angry shouts, I darted off in the direction I had come from. Extremely thankful the blessed starlight gave me just enough light to see by. Still clumsy and disoriented from the days prior, I made my way, tripping and falling, back to my shelter.

Behind me some of the men had followed, carrying with them torches and weapons. In my panicked state, my mind shut down and instinct took over.

I ran.

And ran, and ran, and ran.

I ran in strange patterns back into the darker part of the forest, and I didn't stop. I didn't even know where I was anymore. I just ran, even after the voices fell behind and faded away, even with all of the tripping and falling, I still continued to run. I was shaking violently, clammy, felt sick to my stomach, as the world swayed around me, but I could not stop. Something, something that defied all reason kept me moving forward and getting back up. It felt like forever, even with the strange blank moments in my mind, but I didn't stop moving. I walked, occasionally ran again, then walked, and did not stop.

My sense of time was entirely gone, my head hurt beyond belief, my limbs weak. Somewhere around me, sunlight penetrated through the trees. Stopping to evaluate my surroundings, I looked up from the ground I had watched religiously this past night, and felt my body freeze slightly and finally give in.

I couldn't handle it, I had absolutely nothing left. I couldn't even speak to whomever was in front of me, tell them to move the arrow.

I had reached my limit. With a frightening thought, I fell into unconsciousness.

_This is it._

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Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!

(1)Hypoglycemia, to put it simply, is sort of the opposite of diabetes. Rather then having high blood sugar issues, the individual has low blood sugar issues.


	5. Awakening

_Please read the following authors note!_:

First, due to the fact that I cannot find an english-westron translation dictionary, all westron will be written in _italicized english, _with parentheses surrounding the phrase. Please remember that Danielle _cannot_ understand this language! It's only presented in english because I don't want to make up words for a language that Danielle will not know. Hopefully this will also be a bit nicer for you the readers as well. You will be able to 'hear' the comments and conversations that the people of Middle Earth will try to have with her and each other.

As a general rule for the rest of this fanfiction, all languages that Danielle cannot understand will be found as english/elvish words in italics surrounded by parentheses.

It should also be noted that Tolkien's 'westron' was not english. The words you 'hear'/read (ie the names spoken) do not sound the same as they would in english. When Danielle speaks a word (like a name) in westron, she is mimicking the sounds associated with that object. Therefore, she wouldn't recognize any of the names and or places that we the readers would identify.

Regarding Elvish; Danielle knows a few (less than five) phrases/words in elvish, from her fanfiction reading. These too however, would not be identifiable to her. She would not recognize them spoken from a native tongue. Eventually she might make the connections through observation, but it is unlikely since she knows so little of the language.

Second, should it ever show up again, sounds will also be posted in italics with individual parentheses (like in ch1).

Lastly, as it has been for the entire fanfiction, plain italics indicate thoughts-Danielle's thoughts to be specific. 'Thoughts' of other characters will not show up in this fanfiction.

_"indicates a language Danielle cannot understand ( i.e westron and elvish)"_

"indicates Danielle speaking in english"

_'indicates sounds'_

_Plain italics indicate thoughts_

This chapter was extremely difficult to write, so I apologize if it is a bit difficult to read. Please let me know your thoughts and how I can fix this problem. Sometimes it's hard, as an author, to know if everything is clear and makes sense to your readers. Please let me know if there is a problem...

And yes, the Halloween reference and timing is somewhat intentional... Happy Halloween everyone! Be safe and have fun!

Enjoy!

* * *

_ Someone is speaking..._

The thought registered distantly, like an echo in a wide valley. The voice, nothing more than a quiet murmur, hardly penetrated the dark expanse I wandered in, while fighting for consciousness against my sluggish mind.

_Another voice... _

Different from the first, this voice was soft and barely audible. I strained my ears further to try and hear what was being said.

_Oh! Ow! Owowow! Bad, bad idea!_

A sharp constricting pain shot through my head as I tried to focus my hearing, only to fade a moment later when I retreated back to the safety of the darkness. Slightly more aware, now that my head had violently protested against any form of involvement beyond vegetable-like sleep consciousness, I noticed the dull throbbing at the back of my skull and very faint sounds around me.

At some point, during my internal struggle, someone had moved close to me, kneeling or sitting at my side.

_"Lady? Can you hear me?"_

A male. Was he speaking to me? I tried to answer, but my tongue was heavy and my jaw immobile.

_"Lady?"_

The same voice spoke again. Frustrated with my inability to respond, I tried to open my eyes but they were too heavy to move. Why couldn't I move anything?

_"Still no response?"_ the voice of another spoke, a male.

Something on top of me was moved, and the man next to me took my wrist. I tensed and tried to pull away, _who does this guy think he is?, _but like my previous attempts, my body refused to obey my commands. He held my wrist for a moment before returning it, and whatever was covering me to their original positions. The sharp pains returned with my mental protesting.

_"No. However, her pulse has risen slightly. Perhaps she will awaken soon"_

_"How soon? We have lingered here too long" _a third voice spoke, this one also male.

Again I tried to do _something_ to let them know I was awake, but my body wouldn't obey and each attempt brought a new flash of constricting pain.

_"It cannot be helped"_ the one next to me spoke. He rose from his place and walked away.

_Wait! Wait! Don't go! Where am I? Who are you?_

_Dammit! Stupid body, move! Do something!_

I fought with myself for a while longer before exhaustion set in. Deciding to give-in to the inevitable, and seek relief from the pain in my head, I fell back into a deep sleep.

* * *

The sun was warm on my face. Taking a deep breath in, I slowly opened my eyes. Above me, burgundy leaves and brown branches danced in the wind.

_"Strider,"_ a voice to my left spoke, "_I think she's waking up"_

I brought my hand to my aching head, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain. I felt strangely disoriented, my body tingled as it awoke.

There was noise again to my left, some shuffling and then footsteps approaching. Removing my hand from my head, I turned to see what it was.

Approaching me was a very tall man. His hair dark and ragged, was set around a kind, but serious face. In his hand he held something small,_ a cup?_ I was rather thirsty.

_"It is good to see you awake, Lady. You frightened us with how long you slept. We feared you wouldn't wake"_

He was getting close to me now, so I tried to sit up. It took quite a bit of effort, but I managed-for which I am very grateful. My shaking arms did not help matters any.

He knelt next to me, handing me the cup.

_"I am called Strider, and am a ranger here in the north. May I know your name, Lady?"_

I looked down at the contents of the cup, my brow furrowed. What ever was inside was clear like water. Hesitantly, I smelt its contents. _No smell. Water?_

_"Peace Lady, tis only sugar water. You are very dehydrated, and your body needs energy. Were you healthier, I would offer you regular food. Right now however, it would only make you ill"_

Hesitantly, I took a sip. It was sweet, but otherwise had no flavor. _Sugar water?_ Deciding that I really didn't care what it was, I went to take a larger drink, only to have the cup snatched quickly away. My face fell, and I turned to the culprit, whom then slowly handed the cup back to me. Confused, I looked to the man for answers.

_Hey, his eyes are grey…_

_"Drink it slowly"_

Watching the man next to me, I took another small sip. And another. God, it was such a relief. I tried to take a larger drink, but the same thing happened again and the man's brow furrowed.

_"Do you not remember? You must drink slowly, you will make yourself ill…"_

Why wouldn't he let me drink more? Not wanting the cup taken away again, I chose to only sip it's contents. After drinking the entire cup, I felt much better and my head was much clearer. The man next to me noticed this too and held out his hand.

_"I will go get you some more"_

_Huh?_

Not sure what else to do, I handed the cup back to him. He returned a moment later with the cup refilled. After another few sips, he addressed me again.

_"Forgive me for interrupting, Lady, but may I know your name?"_

_Uhhh… crap. How the hell did I not notice __that__ before?_

"I don't have a clue what you are saying" I told him, my voice scratchy from disuse and dehydration.

To say he was shocked would be putting it lightly. Though a moment later he smiled and spoke again.

_"Pedich Edhellen?" _

Ok… that definitely was a different language, but I still didn't recognize it. He tried again several times with, what I'm guessing were, other languages.

"Uhh… I only fluently speak English" I told him. Continuing with the little Spanish that I sort of knew, I asked, "Tu habla Espanol?" wincing at what was probably a terribly mutilated sentence and butchered pronunciation. Hey, at least I remembered a little. I haven't taken Spanish since the tenth grade, and that was well around five and a half years ago!

No response. _Well, crap. Lets try a new tactic._

"I'm from the United States"

Still no response. _Seriously? I at least expected a little recognition when I said, 'United States'._

"You've got to be joking. You know God-only-knows how many languages, yet the phrase 'United States' doesn't even ring a bell?"

_Oops. _He looked a little offended at that. It must have been my tone...

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you" I apologized, "Its just my luck that the one person, whom knows as many languages as he has fingers on his hands, doesn't even recognize the name of one of the world's greatest superpowers…"

The man next to me seemed to understand that I was apologizing. He smiled slightly before his face turned serious again, as if in thought. Sighing, I look back down at the cup in my hands.

_Where on earth am I that he doesn't even recognize the phrase 'United States'? _I tensed with that thought, and everything I had seemingly forgotten from the past few days came crashing down, like a wave into my conscious.

_Waking up in the forest._

_The thunderstorm._

_The river._

_The bush._

_The men-_

_The chase._

_THE MEN! _I panicked at the thought and tears I didn't think I had jumped into my eyes, ready to fall. Was this man one of them? I had heard other voices before...

Looking wildly around, I breathed a sigh of relief. The only thing I found were a few people sitting around a fire. _With children?_ I couldn't make out the figures very well from this distance, but there were definitely two smaller figures sitting on the log over there. Wiping the unshed tears from my eyes, I took another deep breath and began to slowly sip the 'water', as I had decided to label it.

Seeing my sudden change in attitude, the man looked at me concerned, only to be distracted a moment later by something behind me. I turned my head to see what he was looking at and, much to my surprise, found a _very_ old man, with a rather long beard, a grey robe, and…

_what the?_

an _extremely _pointed witch's hat?

_Seriously? What is this? Halloween?_

Upon seeing us, the old man spoke, smiling gently, _"Ah, she has awakened! Welcome back to the waking world, my dear"_

_Eye contact. He's talking to me._ Before I had a chance to respond however, the man next to me spoke.

_"Mithrandir! I am glad you have returned"_

Turning his gaze to the man next to me, the old man answered,_ "Were you displeased, my friend, I'm afraid I would have been a bit worried. Though, your current enthusiasm worries me too… I have only been gone a few minutes…" _he finished with a slight smirk.

_"Forgive me, I did not mean to offend. The Lady, here, does not speak any tongues of which I am familiar. Perhaps you may know of one that she speaks?"_

_"Interesting…" _The old man answered, turning his gaze back to me, _"So you are unfamiliar with the land's most common tongues… Perhaps you may know some from the older days?" _

The process repeated with the old man. He continued to speak in a language (or languages, I'm not really sure, everything sounded really similar), waiting for a reaction.

"I'm sorry" I told him, "but I only speak English. I come from the United States"

He looked surprised when I spoke. _Wait a minute? Did he recognize 'United States'? _Tentatively, I tried again.

"United States?"

His brows furrowed slightly.

"Obama? McDonalds? Baseball?"

I was beginning to become desperate, they _had_ to recognize s_omething,_ right?

"China? Russia? Japan? Korea? Europe? England? Spain? France? India? The Middle East? Africa? Television? The Internet? Cars? Henry Ford? New York?" I recited desperately.

Still no response, my heart fell. _Where the hell am I where __two__ well traveled people have never heard of __anything__ that I had just mentioned?_

New panic began to set in and I felt those tears return to my eyes.

_"Do not be discouraged, child"_ the old man spoke to me, _"we will find a way to communicate and return you to your home…" _his gentle blue eyes were apologetic. Turning to the man next to me, he spoke again.

_"I am afraid that I have never come across a tongue like hers before. It will be difficult to communicate with her. We cannot keep her with us for long"_

_"I will try to learn her name. Actions will, hopefully, be enough to communicate with, for now" _the man next to me answered. The old man nodded, and then walked over to the campfire. After he had left, the man next to me sat in silence, his brow furrowed in thought. Looking to me, he spoke again, holding his hand over his chest.

_"Strider"_ he said. Moving his hand to direct towards me, he waited silently.

_Huh? What are you-?_

He repeated his actions. _"Strider" _he said again.

I shifted my eyes. What was he doing?

Again, he repeated. I looked back at him blankly.

Sighing, he picked up a stick and a rock next to him and said, as he pointed to each in turn, _"stick, rock," _touching the tree near us, "_tree,"_ then back to himself, _"Strider"._

_Oh! _Insert metaphorical lightbulb. _He is telling me his name!_ Pointing to myself I said, "Danielle".

Smiling as he saw the message connect, and he received my name, he began again, _"Strider"_ he said pointing to himself, then directing towards me, "Danielle". I smiled and nodded, his accent made it sound funny, but I could still recognize my name. I repeated his actions, first touching my chest and giving my name, then pointing to him and saying his.

It had taken a while, but we finally had found a way to communicate. Both of us smiled, and he pointed to the cup in my hands. _So we are going to continue then, yes?_ Saying it's name, I looked at him in confusion slightly before trying to 'voice' my question.

Pointing to the inside of the cup I repeated the word he had spoken. He nodded his head and smiled. His smile however was quickly replaced by a look of confusion when I did the same pointing to the outside of the cup. After a moment, he smiled again and held out his hand.

_Hey! I think he got the message!_

Handing him the cup, he poured some of it's contents into his hand. Gesturing his hand, with the 'water' in it, towards me, he said _"Sugar water"_, then indicating with his other hand he said, _"cup_". Smiling, I repeated his actions when he returned the cup to me. All of this talking had made me thirsty, so I went to take a long drink from the cup, only to have it taken away again.

Sheepishly, I looked to him as he held the cup. His face was confused. I held out my hand, but he would not return it. Pouting, I asked him in english, "why can't I have it back?"

Pointing to me, he said my name. He then pointed to himself, and remained silent. My brows furrowed.

_Huh?_

Hesitantly, I said, _"Strider"_

He nodded, and did the same with the rock, the stick, the tree, and the cup and its contents. I repeated the sounds for those as well, and then I realized what he was doing.

"Oh! You're testing my memory!" I laughed at my foolishness, "I know, I know! I forgot! Sipping only! Can I please have it back now? I promise to sip it!"

Looking at me with slight suspicion, he hesitantly returned the cup to me. As I went to take another drink I, very pointedly, looked to him, demonstrating dramatically that I was 'sipping' the _"sugar water"_.

A smile grew on his face at my exaggerated actions. He got the message; I knew to sip it, I just forgot.

_"Do not let your thirst run away with you, _Danielle._ You will regret it later"_

Even though his last sentence was said with a smile, it sounded like a warning. _Right, a warning. Sip only!_ I told myself, guessing that his warning was something along those lines.

It didn't take me long to finish the contents of the cup, and when I had, an unexpected yawn graced my lips. _Well that was a little embarrassing, sorry for yawning right in your face-that wasn't rude in the slightest. _I mentally scolded myself before apologizing to him in english.

"Sorry, I guess I'm more tired then I had thought"

Smiling at my uncontrolled yawn he indicated to the pillow-like fold of cloth behind me.

_"Sleep, _Danielle._ We will be here when you awake."_

I didn't know, or really care, what he was saying at that point. I handed the cup back to him with a 'thank you', and then tucked in for another long rest. The sun still had a ways to go before it reached it's next horizon, but it didn't matter, I could sleep safely, was warm, and being cared for. I sent a brief prayer of thanks to God and fell fast asleep.

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Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!


	6. Nature's Call

Hey! Thanks to everyone who keeps leaving a review! They make me smile! :D

_**Warning:**_ Physical care and bodily functions are mentioned

Enjoy!

* * *

Had my hunger not woken me, I think I could have slept for an eternity. Aside from my aching stomach, I was perfectly comfortable nestled between the blankets, which effectively shielded me from the chilled air.

My comfort was not meant to last however, as to my left, I heard footsteps approaching. Sitting up, wincing slightly as the cool air touched my skin, I turned to face the approaching individual. It was not "_Strider_", whom I had expected, but another man. Looking past the man approaching me, I tried to find _"Strider"_ or the old man I had met-I did not see either of them. I wasn't very comfortable meeting another stranger just yet, at least, I wasn't willing to meet anyone new without _"Strider"_ near me.

_You've got to be joking... you can't trust him that much already! _

Stupid, I know- being so attached to a stranger is probably not the best idea. However, true to my life-long quirk, I would cling to the person I knew I could trust. _"Strider",_ though still very much a stranger, had already shown me that I could trust him. This man however, was more of a stranger than _"Strider"_ and thus I was a bit uncomfortable with his approach. His appearance didn't help matters any either, I quickly looked away after meeting his eyes.

Unlike _"Strider"_, this man's face was serious and stern, and he did not even attempt a smile as he approached, watching me like a hawk. He seemed to be slightly shorter than "_Strider"_, but was large in build. His dark hair was well kept (compared to "_Strider's"_ at least) and framed his dark grey eyes, which never strayed from my position. He was intimidating, to say the least, and only when he was a few feet in front of me did I meet his eyes again, following them until he knelt next to me. I looked away again, noticing an oddly shaped rock nearby, intimidated by his presence and stare.

_"Boromir"_ the man said.

Looking back quickly to his dark grey eyes, I saw that he was touching his chest. Realizing that he was introducing himself, I repeated the action, saying my own name and then pointing to him, repeating his. Nodding his head slightly, he held out a bowl in front of him. I hesitated for a moment, not sure what was expected of me. Cautiously, I took the bowl from his hand and looked down at its contents, doing my best not to make a face at the strange concoction before me.

Inside the wooden bowl was a steaming broth-like liquid with chunks of mushy white pieces in it. Confused, I poked one of the white pieces with the tip of my finger, it broke apart and dispersed throughout the bowl. Wincing, I contemplated a while longer if it was safe to eat, my musings were interrupted by the rough voice of _"Boromir"_ next to me.

_"Relax, it's just travelers bread. Aragorn said to mix it into the broth since you wouldn't be able to eat it dry. Drink it slowly or you'll make yourself sick"_

I had no idea what he had said, but I'm sure my blank stare made that clear to him. With a sigh, he cupped his hands together and brought them to his face, moving them closer to him after a moment. The movement was slight, and I wasn't really sure what he was doing. I continued to look at him confused.

_"Eat" _he spoke again.

_Uhh... what are you trying to tell me? _I was still looking at him blankly.

Sighing, _"Boromir"_ rose and returned to the fire. He returned a moment later with another bowl. Kneeling next to me once again, he brought the bowl to his lips, acting as if he was drinking it.

"Oh! You're telling me to eat!" I exclaimed, finally getting the message. I looked back at the bowl and the now very soggy white floating things. "What is this?" I questioned, still looking at the bowl. My stomach gurgled in hunger, reminding me of the reason I had awoken in the first place.

"Danielle," He said, "_eat"_

Closing my eyes, I hesitantly sipped the bowl's contents, wincing as I felt some of the floating white pieces accompany the broth. Aside from the soggy unknown substance, it wasn't that bad. It didn't have a lot of flavor, but I was hungary and didn't really care. I'd just have to ignore the soggy unknown.

Remembering _"Strider's" _previous warning, I only sipped the contents. It was frustrating, being so hungary and thirsty, but I didn't want it taken away.

About halfway through the bowl, I became extremely tired. I went to set it to the side, so as to sleep, but _"Boromir"_ would not let me, pushing the bowl back into my hands before it even had a chance to touch the ground.

"What?" I questioned, slightly irritated "Can't I finish after I sleep a little?"

_"Boromir" _only repeated his actions from before.

"I did eat, why do I need to eat more?"

He repeated his actions again, however this time he tipped the bowl, towards his mouth, completely and then turned it upside down, shaking it.

"Huh?"

Sighing again, he tentatively took my hands, and the bowl, and brought them closer to my face. I was a bit uncomfortable with the contact, and felt my face redden in protest. _God, this is so embarrassing. This man has the patience of a saint... _

_"You need to finish it before you sleep again"_

Not sure what else to do, I continued eating. After I finished _"Boromir"_ smiled slightly and held out his hand. Handing him the bowl with a quiet 'thank you' I watched him as he returned to the fire. Turning back to my 'bed' I quickly fell back asleep.

* * *

I awoke again later that day (I think), to the call of nature. _"Strider"_ and the old man had returned and were now sitting around the fire. Aside from _"Boromir"_, there were three others, all children judging by their height.

I sat up and brought my knees beneath me, catching the attention of _"Strider". _He rose from his place, reaching for something next to him, and came over to me. As he did so, I found myself struggling to stand, using the tree next to me as a support after having risen upon my knees. I had just managed to stand fully, albeit resting heavily on the tree for support, when he reached me. I smiled at him, through my heavy breathing, and greeted him with a nod, and saying his name.

_"Strider"_ smiled when he heard his name, he repeated mine to me, and then looked at me confused. He indicated to the 'bed' that I had just rose from.

I blushed as I realized what I needed to communicate to him next.

"Uhh, I need to use the restroom..." I said embarrassed, still holding tight to the tree for support.

He looked at me for further explanation. I pointed in the direction that I wanted to go, to which he looked. Looking back at me, with even greater confusion he spoke, _"I do not see anything. Is there something there that you seek?"_

_Seriously, can this get any more embarrassing?_

"I have to go to the bathroom," I said again, "I'm going to go over there, I'll be back in a minute"

The message again, obviously, did not connect. Frustrated with the communication barrier, I made my fingers 'walk' towards the direction that I had pointed in, and then pointed there again.

_"Strider's"_ eyebrows rose a little, and he looked in that direction again. Looking back to me, he again waited for a clearer explanation.

Again I made the 'walking fingers' and pointed in that direction. I then pointed to him and tried to indicate for him to turn around with my hand. Still no connection. I repeated my actions again, only this time I turned myself in a circle instead. _Wow, that took a lot more energy than expected. I hope I have enough to walk away and then return... God it would be embarrassing if I needed help with this..._

Still no response or indication that he understood.

My bladder was making me very aware of the need to relieve myself and, fed up with wasting time playing charades, I finally decided to physically turn him around and away from me. Well, I tried to at least. Neither of us were comfortable with the contact, and frankly, this guy was flippen huge.

After a few times of my trying to turn him around, he finally did. Looking over his shoulder to see what I was up to. Giving up on a hopeless cause, I carefully made my way away from him, holding on to each tree I passed for support.

After determining I was far enough away and out of sight, pleased to see that _"Strider"_ hadn't followed, I finally found the relief that I was seeking.

After finishing my business, I began the return trip. What couldn't have been much more than fifty to a hundred feet felt like a mile with the condition my body was in. _"Strider"_ was still by my 'bed', and he smiled once I returned. He handed me the cup he was holding, saying a word that sounded familiar. I would have drunken from it greedily had I not remembered the 'sip only' rule. The cups contents were the same as before, the stuff I labeled 'sugar water'. After I had finished, _"Strider"_ took the cup and indicated to a pile next to me, he spoke again.

_"These were the closest we were able to find. Those amongst our company are either far to large, or much to small in size compared to you. They are not much, but they will keep you warm"_

I picked up the pile next to me. It contained a very large shirt, some pants-like things, and... _a cloak? _

Looking at "_Strider's"_ attire, and recalling that of the old man and _"Boromir"_, I realized that this might not be that out-of-the-ordinary for them_. _Strider turned away again and I did my best to 'quickly' dress, though, I was so tired by this point that I didn't really have a sense of time.

The shirt was absolutely huge, like one of my father's shirts, and the pants, were relatively small. Well, I wouldn't consider them pants at all, on me at least. They were more like capris, with a waist that fit just right. _Huh, that's lucky. At least I don't have to worry about them falling... _The air was still a bit chilly so I threw the cloak on over me realizing, with a sudden and furious blush, how obvious it was that I was chilled, lacking a bra beneath my tank top.

After I finished, and recomposed myself, double checking to make sure things were not so obvious beneath the shirt and cloak, I spoke _"Strider's"_ name, to which he turned around and smiled. Offering me his arm, which I hesitantly but gratefully took, he led me over to the fire.

It took longer than I would like to admit, my strength was fading to quickly for my liking, but we eventually made it over to the fire. After I sat on one of the logs acting as a chair, _"Strider"_ left me to go refill the cup.

_"Welcome, _Danielle!_ It is good to see you up and moving!" _The old man greeted me.

I smiled at him uncertainly, I wasn't sure what he had said, but it was said kindly, so I was going to assume that it was a good thing...

_Well... this isn't awkward in the least..._ I continued smiling as I looked into the faces of the others around the campfire. After a minute or so, _"Strider"_ returned with the cup and a bowl containing the same contents as earlier. Handing them to me, he indicated to the old man sitting to the right of me.

_"Gandalf"_ he said as he pointed to him, to which the old man smiled and nodded. Pointing to _"Gandalf's"_ right, he indicated to a small dark haired child staring into the fire.

_"Frodo"_ he said, to which the child _-adult-_looked up and smiled briefly. Again to the right, _"Strider"_ continued, each individual smiling and looking to me as his name was said.

To _"Frodo's"_ right, a heavier set figure sat, _"Sam"_ was his name. He was small like _"Frodo"_, and at a glance, could easily be mistaken for a child-he and _"Frodo"_ being two of four that shared this characteristic. The other two, _"Merry" _and_ "Pippin", _whom looked similar enough to be related, sat on the other side of the fire, across from _"Frodo"_ and_ "Sam"._

Sitting between the two groups was the man _"Boromir"_, from earlier today, and a man called _"Gimli"_. _"Gimli",_ was about a foot taller than the child-like individuals. He had a massive bushy red-brown beard, that looked like it was eating his face. _Well... no, it's not just his beard. His hair is apart of that massiveness too..._

Like everyone around the fire, _"Gimli"_ had longer hair than I was used to seeing on a male. His however, reminded me more of 'Santa Clause' with its bushiness. _"Gandalf's"_ beard made me think of Albus Dumbledore though, I'm sure the old man's attire didn't help that association any.

There was a noise to my left, and I caught a glimpse of long blonde hair.

_Thank-God! I am not the only female!_

The individual came out from the surrounding trees and I found myself entranced. I was looking at, without any doubt in my mind, the most beautiful person I had ever seen. Looking from the golden curtain that draped from the head, I followed the face to two absolutely stunning, dark, deep, green eyes-eyes that I could not stop staring at. After a moment, I continued my observation past the face, blatantly staring with my mind numb. Well, almost numb...

_Not female, definitely not female. That chest is definitely not female. _

I continued to stare in awe until I was interrupted by _"Strider"_ whom introduced the newcomer as _"Legolas"-_ he nodded briefly to me before turning and speaking to the others.

_"The party of orcs that I have been tracking have split into two groups. I would request the aid of another to follow one of the groups, while I track the other..."_

_"__Boromir"_ answered him, _"I will go, let me get my weapons and we can leave"_

_"Legolas"_ nodded and after a moment the two left in the direction that _"Legolas"_ had come from. I did not stop staring at _"Legolas"_ until he left my sight. Next to me _"Strider"_ spoke again, indicating to the bowl and cup in my hands.

_"Eat and drink, _Danielle, _you need the strength the food will provide"_

I thanked _"Strider"_ whom then left and returned to his seat beside _"Sam"_. I sipped the 'sugar water' and broth slowly, staring into the dancing flames, without any thought in mind.

The sun began to set and the sky became painted in purples, oranges, and pinks, followed by the blue and black curtain of the night. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing in the cool night air. Content with my place and situation I prayed my mantra of prayers in thanks.


	7. A Day at Camp

Thanks to everyone who keeps leaving reviews!

So I know this is starting to feel like it's dragging, but I hope after this chapter it should feel like it's moving again. Let me know your thoughts!

Enjoy!

* * *

I have absolutely no idea when I fell asleep, but I awoke early to the smell of something absolutely delicious. At some point someone had moved me back to my 'bed', placing my cloak over the blanket there. Pushing both to the side, and then wrapping the cloak around me, I rose and walked over to the fire, sitting on the log that I had sat on last night. _"Strider_", whom had been eating, rose from his place and approached me with a smile, carrying something in his hand along with the cup.

_"Perhaps today your body will be able to tolerate regular food. Here, I know it is hardly anything compared to the conies the rest of us are eating, but it is a good place to start for now. There is fruit as well, if you so desire. Just remember to eat slowly" _He said as he handed me, what I assume was, a piece of bread. I frowned, whatever meat was cooking over the fire smelled so good!

Disappointed, but grateful, I took the bread and ate it slowly, with _"Strider"_ watching me all the while. It was strange, after only a few bites, I felt strangely full, to the point where my stomach ached. _There is no way I can be full yet... what the heck?_

Noticing my confusion, and possibly my discomfort, _"Strider" _spoke again handing me the cup.

_"Eat and drink slowly, _Danielle,_ this day numbers the start of day seven since Legolas and I came across you in the woods. You haven't had real food since then, let alone how long you had gone without food prior to that..."_

Today the cup held regular water, and I sipped it slowly, hoping to ease the pain in my stomach. It helped a little, but even after a few minutes I was reluctant to eat any more of the bread.

_"Strider" _spoke again, pointing to the bread and the sun, _"Take your time, we are in no hurry. You do not need to eat all of that now, but try to finish it before midday"_

_Uh, ok?_

I wasn't too sure what he had said, but I got the feeling that it had something to do with the time of the day, considering he was pointing to the sun...

_Bread plus sun equals what?_

Confused I looked to the sun, and then back at _"Strider"_. He pointed at the sun's current position, and then traced it to a position above us in the sky.

_Umm... sun moving? _

_Above us?_

_Bread, sun moving, above us?_

_Yeah... still confused._

I looked back at the bread, not sure what it had to do with the movement of the sun. _"Strider"_ smiled and repeated his actions, only this time he took the bread and hid it behind his back after pointing to the sun's eventual position in the sky high above.

"Um, not sure if this is on the mark or not but the bread will be taken away when the sun is high in the sky?" I asked.

Yeah, both of us weren't sure where to go after that. _"Strider"_ handed the bread back to me, sighing slightly before smiling and indicating to the bread I held. I smiled back at him, grateful for the bread and water when he spoke again.

_"Forgive me for interrupting, please continue eating. Hopefully we will find a better way to communicate"_

He returned to his place, and I continued to eat _very_ slowly. For the first time, I got a really good look at the nine people around me.

The four child-like people were sitting together on the ground next to the fire at which _"Sam",_ I believe his name was, was tending. They spoke silently to each other, occasionally glancing in my direction. _"Gandalf", "Gimli", _and_ "Boromir" _sat in silence, listening occasionally as _"Strider"_ and _"Legolas"_ conversed with each other.

I was only halfway done with the bread that had been given to me when the others were finished with their meal. As they finished, I watched as they placed their dishes in a pile, and moved off to fulfill their respective duties. _"Sam"_, cleared the pan's from the fire and added them to the growing dish pile. The two look-alike, child-like people, whom I had forgotten their names, collected the dishes and walked off away from camp-to wash them, I assume. _"Legolas"_ and _"Boromir"_ had collected their weapons and headed off into the direction that they had last night. _"Gimli"_ collected an axe (though I wasn't sure why, there was plenty of fallen wood around us for the fire) and also headed off into the woods._ "Gandalf"_, much to my surprise, remained where he was. He lit his pipe, and stared intently into the fire, which the dark hair child-like person was tending.

_One of these days I am actually going to be good at remembering names..._

_"Strider"_ came over to me and spoke to me again.

He indicated to my 'bed' behind me, _"Once you have finished eating, it may be wise for you to sleep. You still look tired"_

I looked back at him not entirely sure, or really caring, what he had said. Returning my gaze to my bread, I continued to eat. My heart was heavy today, and there were only a million and one things that I could think of as for why...

_"Strider"_ rose from his place next to me and went about other things; going through a pack over there, collecting wood to put in the pile here, taking some of the containers and setting them there, continuing with such and such as he moved about the camp.

After a while the two look-a-likes returned, setting the dishes on a cloth near the fire. They nodded to me briefly before engaging the other two in quiet conversation.

A short while later, I finally finished my bread. Rising from my place, I headed back in the direction towards my 'bed', placing the nearly empty cup beside it. After doing so I headed in the same direction that I had yesterday- needing to use the restroom again. I didn't get far however, before _"Strider" _called out to me.

_"_Danielle? _Where are you going?"_

I assumed the question in his voice related to what I was doing. _Lets see, how did we do this yesterday?... Oh, right! _Repeating my 'walking fingers', pointing, and hand spinning, I looked to _"Strider_" to see if he recalled the message from yesterday. Thankfully he did, and with a nod from him I turned and took my leave, after which _"Strider"_ returned to what ever he had been doing.

After I returned, I decided to take a nap. Crawling into the warmth of the blankets, and throwing the cloak over me, I quickly fell asleep.

* * *

"Danielle?" a voice called, "Danielle,_ you need to awaken. It is time for midday meal, you need to eat"_

Groggily I opened my eyes. Kneeling next to me was _"Strider"_.

"_Forgive me for awakening you, however you need to eat"_ He said as he handed me another piece of bread. _"Boromir" and "Legolas"_ had not returned yet, but everyone else was sitting around the fire again, eating.

_Huh, must be time for lunch..._

Rising from my 'bed', I adorned my cloak and made my way to the fire, thanking _"Strider"_ for the bread and fresh water he had brought. Everything was the same as it had been for breakfast. The groups were the same, the food, the time it took for the meal. All routine, and done many times before. As they finished eating, the same happened with the 'chores' each were responsible for. _"Strider"_ approached me once again.

_"If you are feeling well enough, eat this"_ he said, handing me an apple.

Oh the joy of seeing something familiar and loved! With a smile I took the apple from him and set it in my lap, thanking him as he turned to leave.

Looking at the apple, I thought of things from home- almost laughing at the ability of such a simple object bringing such bittersweet memories.

I remembered the phrase that I chanted with the three hundred other members of the marching band, upon receiving our apples at the third quarter of each home football game; _This is my apple! There are many like it, but this one is MINE! _

_Would I ever see them again? Granted we aren't in season right now, but still..._ It was not a thought to dwell on though, knowing that it would lead me to other depressing thoughts.

Slowly, I finished eating both the bread and the apple- feeling remarkably better after the latter. I was content to simply sit at the fire until in front of me, one of the burning wood pieces popped, spreading hot coals onto the ground and catching on the grass and some leaves. I scooted back with a gasp, startled-promptly falling off the back of the log and onto my butt and back.

Can you blame me? I _hated_ fire. Up until this moment I had done a relatively good job at telling myself that this fire was no different from the ones that my family and I had in the two foot fire pits while camping- but obviously this was not so.

A moment later the grass and leaves that had caught burnt out, but that had been enough for me. Frustrated, and suddenly very uncomfortable with the fire's presence, I stood up and brushed myself off.

_"Aragorn, the orch party has returned to the mountains" _a soft voice spoke next to me.

"AHHHH!" I screamed, jumping backwards a few feet, "What the hell? Where the hell did you come from?"

I glared at the source of my fright. "Don't do that! You're going to give me a heart attack!"

Bewildered, the man next to me looked to me and spoke again, "_My apologies, _Danielle,_ I did not mean to frighten you"_

I think he was apologizing, but I didn't know, or care. The moment he had said my name, it was like I had fallen into a trance. His voice and accent were beautiful, and my mind went numb again. He, and the others, continued to stare at me after my little outburst.

After physically shaking myself from my trance, I spoke to him again, "Just give me some warning next time, o.k? Last I checked, you and _"Boromir"_ were still off in the forest somewhere... and its not very nice to sneak up on people..."

_And there I go rambling..._

After a moment the others returned to their activities as if nothing had happened, though I'm sure they were seriously beginning to question my sanity. With a sigh, I made my way over to my bed and fell fast asleep again.

* * *

_"Legolas"_ was gone when I awoke again, to the same delicious smell as before. _Must be near dinner time... _Rising from my 'bed', I joined the others at the fire, attempting to sit as far away from the actual flame as I could manage while still on the log. This earned me a couple of confused stares which I, for the most part, was oblivious to. Unfortunately, _"Strider"_ still wouldn't let me eat any of the meat that they were cooking. He did however, in addition to another piece of bread and an apple, give me some nuts and berries.

It didn't take me anywhere near as long to finish my meal as it had before. After finishing, I thanked my companions, and turned in for the night. My strength was returning, but I still needed a lot of sleep. After muttering my evening prayer, I fell quickly asleep with the sun fading into the horizon.


	8. The Days Proceed

Ch9: The Days Proceed...

Sorry for how long this took to update!

For those of you that are curious, this story will be between 30-40 chapters in length (probably closer to 40 according to my current outline).

I've had some people ask if Danielle will recognize that she is with the Fellowship and yes, she will eventually. :)

Fey50free: Thanks for reminding me about that, I had almost forgotten. Hopefully the way I've (now) integrated it in will make sense? Let me know, please, and thanks again!

Just a reminder:

"Italics_ in quotations are a language thats not English" _(Danielle doesn't understand what is being spoken)

_Plain italics indicates Danielle's thoughts_

Thanks to everyone for reading, and leaving reviews!

**Warnings: Personal care is evaluated and mental health is mentioned.**

Again, please remember to be thoughtful with reviews, especially regarding topics listed in the warning sections.

**Thanks to everyone who's already left a review for this chapter. I was rereading and considering your thoughts, thus some editing...**

Enjoy!

* * *

The next two days went the same as the first. I awoke to the smell of meat cooking, was given bread, an apple, and some nuts and berries for food, and I napped between meals. For each day that passed, I seemed to need less and less sleep, and today, day four, I was planning on remaining awake the entire day.

This morning however, was different from the others; I did not wake to the smell of breakfast over the fire, in fact there was no fire lit at all. There was very little conversation through breakfast, and _"Legolas"_, _"Boromir",_ and _"Gimli"_ did not speak at all as they rushed through their meal, only to leave camp a few moments later.

Everyone seemed a bit tense today, but I wasn't sure why, and it is not like I could have asked either. All I could do was sit and wait to see what happened. I was really starting to get irritated with the language barrier.

_Hey Harry, wanna ask Hermione for some sort of translation and communication spell? That would be really helpful right about now..._

My sarcastic thoughts weren't exactly helping matters any, but at the moment I didn't really care.

Once all of the dirty dishes were present, per usual, _"Merry" _and_ "Pippin"_ (I had finally learned everyone's name) took the dishes to be washed. I approached the two as they began collecting the dishes into their arms.

"I can help" I stated as I stopped in front of them, "I feel bad not doing anything, especially since all of you are the reason I am alive"

The two looked at me, confused. Bending down, I gathered the remaining dishes into my arms, "I'll follow you"

My actions were enough to translate my intent, and they did not protest. As we walked away, I heard _"Gandalf"_ and _"Strider"_ speaking to each other, breaking the terse 'conversations' that had occurred earlier that morning.

I hadn't taken more than a few steps before I found myself wincing as something sharp stabbed my foot. Aggravated, I kicked the rock out of my path and continued walking.

A moment later, it happened again. Only this time it was a twig. After moving that away from my path, I continued following _"Merry" _and_ "Pippin". _

"Ouch!"

Looking down at my feet, for the third time in the last two minutes, I found myself stepping on a pine cone.

"Seriously?" I muttered, feeling the metaphorical twitch pulsing in my forehead. _How the hell did I not have this problem before? _Taking a closer look at my feet, I realized that my assumption was not one hundred percent correct; I had been stepping on sharp objects before (if the cuts on my feet were any indication), I just hadn't realized it.

_Given the circumstances, I'm not surprised. Insane people chasing you with knives would have been something more important to focus on..._

Frustrated, I continued walking, noticing the bare feet of my companions. _Now why aren't they having this-_

"OUCH!" I hissed again, finding a pine needle lodged in the sole of my foot.

_"Are you alright?"_ One of the two in front of me asked. After quickly pulling it out, I looked up, not a hundred percent sure which had spoken... I think it was _"Merry"_.

The two were looking back at me, I assume, to see if I was alright. Smiling at them, I responded. Even if they couldn't understand what I was saying, it was too weird to not respond after being addressed.

"I'm fine"

We continued walking, and every few moments I would find myself stepping on something else.

_It's a wonder that I didn't notice this when I first awoke. Although, I'm sure I was being a lot more careful then... _

Eying the bare feet of the two in front of me, I envied their apparent immunity to the sharp objects on the ground.

_I swear these two must have ninja feet. There is no way that they are stepping on this stuff and not realizing it..._

A moment later we arrived at a small stream, where the two knelt down and began washing. Following their example, I too knelt by the stream's edge, rolled up the sleeves of my massive shirt, and began pre-rinsing the dishes. A moment later however, I stopped.

_What the? _

Trying not to make an absolute fool of myself, I quickly glanced to my two companions, grateful to find them oblivious to me in their quiet conversation. Slowly, dreading the confirmation of my suspicions, I raised a hand to my mouth and breathed out, wincing at the smell.

_Well what did you expect after not brushing your teeth for at least a week and a half? Rinsing with water can only do so much..._

Resolving to find some way to adequately clean my teeth upon our return to camp, I returned to rinsing off the dishes. Once I had finished, I turned to _"Merry"_ and _"Pippin"_.

"Can I steal the soap from-" I stopped mid-sentence, absorbing and translating the information my eyes were relaying to me. I was surprised, and slightly disgusted, to find that the soap was not being used. The two of them had simply rinsed off and placed their dishes on the drying cloth.

After a moment, I realized that the two were waiting for me to finish speaking. Unfortunately, it was rather obvious that I had stopped mid-thought, my mouth was still open in a half formed word. Shaking myself from my shock I addressed the two again, noting that they had nearly finished with their dishes.

"Uhhh... never mind" I told them as I turned back to my work, "Let me rinse these again and I will be done here as well"

I worked a little bit faster this time, not wanting to have the others waiting on me. Again, my thoughts wandered as I worked.

_How are the guys cleaning their teeth?_ I had not yet noticed bad breath coming from any of them...

_That might be because the only one who really talks to you is "Strider", and he is so much taller than you that you wouldn't be able to tell..._

Heh, tall indeed. Tall didn't even begin to cover it, not when speaking of _"Strider", "Legolas", "Boromir" _ and even _"Gandalf"_. The four of them were like giants, and this is coming from a girl who is five feet and seven inches tall- it is not like I am a short individual.

Once I had finished cleaning my dishes, _"Merry", "Pippin",_ and I headed in the direction of camp. I did my best to stay on the path that I had cleared coming here, intending to minimize the discomfort to my feet. It helped, but I still occasionally found myself stepping on something.

I stopped when I stepped on a pine cone that ended up sticking to my foot via tree sap. Brushing it off on the capri-length pants I was wearing, I addressed the two in front of me, cringing slightly as I noted my unshaved legs and filthy feet.

"I am giving the two of you new names"

_"Merry"_ and _"Pippin"_ stopped walking and looked back at me when I spoke. Looking to each respectively, as I addressed them, I continued.

"You, _"Merry"_, are Ninja-Foot One, and you, _"Pippin"_, are Ninja-Foot Two. Please teach this novice the ways of the sacred Ninja-Foot arts... I promise to be a diligent and dedicated student" I told them, attempting a bow, after freeing my foot of the pine-cone and tree sap. Looking back up at the two, I was greeted with an all to familiar look.

_What a surprise! Blank stares! I certainly didn't see that one coming! _I thought sarcastically.

"My feet are killing me, but the two of you haven't even noticed the sticks, rocks, and pine-cones you must be stepping on"

_Cue continuation of blank stares._

"Never mind"

A short while later we finally returned to camp. After setting the dishes in the sun, _"Merry" and "Pippin"_ thanked me (I think...) and continued with their usual routine, engaging _"Sam" and "Frodo"_ in quite conversation. Not sure what else to do, I sat down at my place around the non-existant fire and observed my surroundings.

To my slight disappointment, _"Gandalf"_ had left camp while _"Merry", "Pippin"_, and I were cleaning the dishes- taking the pony with him. I had been hoping to spend some time petting and talking to the pony, but that obviously wasn't going to happen right now.

I glanced over to my bed, beautiful deep red, almost-purple leaves littered the forest floor around it. Reminding my self of my goal, to remain awake until sundown, I resisted the urge to take another nap. Hearing a strange but familiar scratching noise, I looked to my left, towards the sound. After a moment, I found what I was seeking. With a smile, I rose from my place and went to the source of the sound.

Hidden amongst the golden leaves of a maple tree, was a small squirrel munching away on some sort of nut. It looked at me curiously as I approached.

"Hiya, squirrelly!" I said, stopping just before the branch it was sitting on, "Are you having a good day today?"

No answer. Not that I expected one anyways.

"I've been eating nuts for my meals too although, I haven't had to go looking for them yet"

Unnerved by my sudden interest in it, the squirrel had stopped eating and was staring at me strangely.

"Its a nice day outside if-"

"Danielle?" _"Strider" _interrupted.

Turning to him, I found his face, plus four others, staring at me in confusion.

"What? " I asked, looking between the five of them, "It's not like any of you can understand me either. At least talking to the squirrel doesn't make me feel like a total idiot" I continued, pointing at the squirrel.

_Ok, pointing at the squirrel probably did not help my 'not an idiot' argument..._

Still no answer. I frowned at their obvious disapproval. _Whatever. At least I have something to talk to this way..._

A moment later, everyone except _"Strider"_ returned to their activities, some shaking their heads. _"Strider"_ on the other hand, watched me closely for another moment with a slight frown on his face. I shrugged at him, and with a small smile, I turned back to the squirrel.

_Is it really that hard to understand? I'm bored and I can't talk to any of them. The squirrel doesn't make me feel like a total idiot, and I talk to animals all the time at home. It's really not that big of a deal..._

Continuing my conversation, I commented on things like the weather, how pretty the trees were, how I hoped that it was female so that I wasn't the only one amongst nine men, and how weird and surreal everything seemed... Unfortunately, the conversation didn't last long. After a few minutes of our one sided conversation, the squirrel darted further up the tree, deciding it no longer wished to interact with the crazy girl with bad breath.

_Right! Bad breath! I almost forgot!_

I walked back over to the group, returning to my place around the fire.

"Hey, _"Strider"_! How do you guys brush your teeth out here?"

Blank stare... not at all surprising.

I repeated my sentence adding in the action of flossing and brushing my teeth.

_Still no response... hmmm..._

Exaggerating my next movements in a way that would make a thespian proud, I imitated smelling my breath, and then moving away from my first position, while wafting away the air in front of me- unintentionally nearly falling off the log in the process.

Aside from attempting to conceal their mirth, I did not receive any indication that a message had connected.

_Well, any message aside from you being a complete idiot..._

_Right, pessimistic thoughts need to go away now..._

I smiled and shook my head, finding all five of them still trying, albeit failing miserably, to contain their mirth.

"Never mind"

It wasn't long until lunch arrived and _"Boromir", "Legolas", "Gimli", _and _"Gandalf"_ had not returned. In order to lessen the mess, everyone simply held their food in their hands. Since there were only six cups to wash I stayed at camp, rather than going with _"Merry"_ and _"Pippin"_.

It didn't take long for _"Merry"_ and _"Pippin" _to return. Unconsciously, I began playing with my hair, quickly noticing the disgusting, oily, rats-nest that it had worked itself into. Content knowing I had something to occupy my time with, but slightly frustrated with the task ahead of me, I began the long process of attempting to untangle the imbroglio of dark blond, I used to call hair.

After a few minutes of literally untying knots in my hair, I was interrupted by a comb placed in my line of vision. Looking up, I was surprised to find _"Strider"_ holding out the comb for me to take.

My facial expression must have changed, because _"Merry", "Pippin", "Sam"_, and _"Frodo"_ burst into laughter just after I looked at _"Strider"_.

Taking the comb with a 'thank you', I smiled as _"Strider"_ returned to his place amongst the other four. Relieved that now I at least had some help with the overwhelming mess, I returned to unknotting my hair.

By the time dinner rolled around, I had managed to work through my hair and put it into a braid, tying it with a piece of material that _"Sam"_ had given me. Aside from _"Gandalf"_'s return, dinner ran the exact same way lunch had. After they had finished eating, _"Strider"_ and _"Gandalf"_ engaged one another in a rather tense conversation.

Deciding to answer the call of nature, rather than listen to an argument that I couldn't understand, I rose from my place and headed off into the woods, only to be stopped a moment later by _"Strider_" calling out to me. Repeating the actions associated with 'restroom', I headed off into the woods with his approval.

_You know, we really need to shorten that sequence..._

Once I felt I was far enough away from camp, I began looking for a relatively private spot. I wandered around the trees for a moment, before stopping and freezing as movement caught my eye. Looking to the place that had caught my attention, I was horrified to find _"Merry" _using the restroom not fifty feet away from me, and in very plain sight on this side of his chosen tree.

"Oh, God! "_Merry"_, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, quickly slapping my hands over my eyes and turning away, "I am so, so sorry! Wow, um, I'm just going to keep walking in this direction okay?" I rambled as I hurried away. Finally, far enough away that even if I turned around, I wouldn't be able to see _"Merry"_ through the trees, I sunk down to the base of a large oak tree and buried my head in my knees.

_Nice going, stupid. Real classy. Keep this up and they'll find a way to get rid of you in no time. You're enough of a burden to them already, lets add problematic and inconsiderate to the mess as well, shall we?_

Huh, I've been really pessimistic today, haven't I?

_It's been a week and a half since you last took your anti-depressant, what did you expect?_

Rising from my place at the tree, I quickly found the secluded spot I was looking for and took care of my business. Upon returning to camp, it was very obvious that something had happened between _"Merry" _and myself.

For once, I was really glad for the language barrier.

When the sun set, I bid my companions a good night and turned in. I said my prayers, especially thankful that I had managed to stay up the entire day. Finally, I could sink into blessed sleep.

"Danielle"

_Huh? _Sitting up groggily, I looked around camp. Only _"Strider"_ and _"Gandalf" _were awake, conversing quietly amongst themselves. Deciding that I had caught my name from their conversation, or my tired mind was just playing tricks on me, I curled up deeper into my blankets, trying to fall back to sleep.

I'm not sure how long it was after hearing my name, but I heard the others return to camp. Their conversation, though quiet, was obviously agitated.

_"Aragorn, we need to move early tomorrow morning"_

_"She cannot travel yet, Legolas. Today is the first day that she's managed to remain awake the entire day, and it has drained her far more than it should have"_

I didn't know what they were saying, but it was very obvious that everyone was tired and frustrated.

_ "We don't have a choice, my friend. We should have been on the move today and are pushing our luc, remaining here tonight, as it is"_

_"How close are they?"_

_"The groups that Legolas and I had tracked have rejoined. They are in the prairie just beyond the forest border" _

_"And you Gimli?"_

_"They've retreated to the mountains, but I'm sure that they will come back to the forest-we cannot stay here any longer"_

I was becoming frustrated with their talking. I was getting near the feeling of to-tired-to-sleep, and their talking wasn't helping matters any. What on earth was so important that they couldn't wait until morning to talk? They should sleep, they were tired too...

_"How much longer will we keep her with us, Gandalf?"_

_"Not long, Boromir. We are approaching a few small towns -someone will be able to take her in"_

_"If I may suggest, Mithrandir, Aragorn and I know a family in one of the towns, just outside the eastern boarder of the forest. They are good and honest people, we should be able to leave her in their care"_

I listened to their voices for a while longer before finally falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!

Regarding the 'ninja' section of this chapter, I mean no offense to those involved in martial arts. I admire everyone involved in martial arts, and greatly respect the effort put into achieving what you do. This section is present simply because I strongly feel this is how Danielle would respond in this situation. Please take no offense...


	9. Starting Something New

Ch9: Where are we going?

Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, favorite-ing, and alerting!

PLEASE READ THE AUTHORS NOTE AT THE END!

Warnings:

Enjoy!

* * *

_"Danielle?"_

Someone's voice was dragging me back to consciousness. _Stop talking. I'm trying to sleep._

_"Danielle?" _The voice called again.

Reluctantly, I cracked opened my eyes, only to close them a moment later. It was still dark out, darkness equals sleep in my book. Again I heard my name.

_"Danielle?"_

" 'Mmm tryin' to sleep" I mumbled, as I pulled the blanket over my head, "the sun isn't even up yet..."

_"Danielle, you need to awaken. We will be traveling before first light"_

Hearing the voice right next to me woke me up completely, and prompted me to sit up and face the speaker. I looked at the speaker blankly.

_If I am grumpy later, "Strider", it's going to be your fault..._

Noting that he finally had my attention, he spoke again, "We_ need to begin traveling"_

"Right..." I responded, not entirely sure what he had said. Looking about camp, I watched, briefly, while the others packed their things, "... up and at 'em..."

Stiffly I rose from my bed, with my tired limbs protesting the entire way. Looking back at the others, I felt my chest tighten in fear as I watched them load their things onto the pony. Were they going to leave me alone?

Hearing movement behind me I turned to see _"Strider"_ packing up my 'bed'.

"Umm, am I coming with you guys?" I asked, more to myself then to him.

_"Strider"_ smiled slightly and indicated for me to follow him. We walked over to the pony, and added my 'bed' to the growing collection of packs that the animal carried. He checked the bindings of the packs before turning back and addressing me.

_"You will ride until your body has healed a bit more"_ he said as he bent down, lacing his hands together, palms facing upward. After a moment, my mind put the pieces together.

"Aah, I've only ridden bare-back once before, and that was for two minutes around a stable. I'm not so sure this is a good idea..." I told him as I looked between him and the pony.

_"Strider"_ was giving me the "I'm not offering. You will do as told" look.

_I'm not getting out of this, am I?_

Sighing, I resigned myself to my fate. Stepping to the pony's side, I grasped the base of its mane with my left hand. After placing my foot into _"Strider"_'s hands, I began to pull myself up. Thankfully, it was not too difficult_. _With _"Strider"_'s assistance, the hardest part was attempting to balance once I had mounted.

It did not take long for me to get situated. Looking up at the sky, I silently wondered why on earth we were up so early. Looking back to the movement around me, I noted that the nine men had finished packing up camp, and were ready to travel. As the first tendrils of light graced the sky, we began traveling east.

~.~

The first part of our journey was a bit difficult as I struggled to balance atop the moving steed. Finally, after what felt like an embarrassingly long time, I found the rhythm of the pony. Adjusting accordingly, I managed not to lose my balance every few minutes.

As we continued our travels, the forest had begun to thin out. The heavily wooded forest was being replaced with brown fields of tall grasses, and it was in one of these grassy fields that we finally stopped to rest -the sun a quarter of its way into the sky. Relieved that were were finally stopping, I addressed the group as I dismounted, sending a brief smile to the approaching _"Strider"_ whom, I assume, had intended to assist me.

"I don't know about you nine, but I am glad we are finally stopping" I said, walking stiffly over to the others, "I'm sure I'm not the only one who is getting hungary, and frankly, my butt is getting sore..."

Sitting down in the grass, I looked to the men around me;

Like usual, the four child-like men sat together, talking quietly amongst themselves. _"Gandalf"_ had taken out his pipe and settled himself down on a rock to my right, deep in thought. _"Legolas"_, whom was placing some of the packs together in groups, was speaking to _"Strider"_, who appeared to be looking for something in one of the packages.

It was so natural, so routine... I found myself feeling terribly out of place.

The feeling did not last long however, I soon found myself distracted by a noise behind me. Looking to see what it was, I found _"Boromir"_, taking out some dishes and food for breakfast. Smiling as I saw the nuts, fruit, and bread, I shifted my weight to turn further, intending to offer help. I didn't get far however, as my behind decided to reminded me that I had spent the past few hours on horseback. I winced, turning back to my original position.

_Resist the urge to massage soreness out of said rear-end..._

The last thing I needed was to try and rub the soreness out with the nine of them here watching. Judging by the more 'traditional' personas they were displaying, that would be a definite 'no-no' on their list of 'proper' behavior. Slowly, I was beginning to pick up on what they considered 'proper'. Unfortunately, I still had a long way to go before I no longer found myself on the receiving end of their disapproving gaze.

_Why on earth is riding bare-back so much harder than riding in a saddle? __I really shouldn't be this sore... I'm not that much of a wimp!_

We didn't take long to eat breakfast, but the group spent some time resting, rather then setting back out after the meal. The light conversation throughout the group was calming and easily faded into white noise as I retreated to my thoughts. Seeing everyone together, and so calm, makes me think of my sisters.

_Those two would absolutely LOVE being out here... I would too, if I knew where the hell I was..._

My thoughts jumped between topics after that and time passed quickly before everyone began preparing to move again. It wasn't long before _"Strider"_ moved back over to the pony, wanting me to mount. Unfortunately for him, I had decided that my soreness, due to lack-of-saddle, was not something I wished to continue, and that I was _not_ riding for the next few hours. I just wasn't sure on how to communicate that...

I approached _"Strider"_ while shaking my head, indicating 'no'. Pointing to the sky, I tried to imitate his earlier actions, of the sun moving, to indicate the passage of time. Using my 'walking fingers', and a bit of charades, I tried to show him what I was trying to say. I don't think he got the entire thing, but eventually he resigned to let me walk. I smiled at him, to show my appreciation. With that matter settled, we began traveling again.

_I should be fine traveling by foot between now and lunch._

~.~

So maybe walking wasn't the best idea.

By the time we stopped for lunch, I could feel grouchy-Danielle making her way forward. I was far more tired than I would have cared to admit, and stupid me forgot that I was not wearing shoes. When we finally stopped, I plopped down to the ground and refused to move.

After finishing my lunch, I laid back and looked up to the sky. The beautiful clear blue was endless, and the birds were soaring elegantly with the air currents. I watched them. Just simply watched, memorized by their stately flight, not a single thought in my mind.

I began to doze off, the sounds of nature faded into the distance. Someone would wake me when it was time to leave... I could rest for a little while.

~.~

I awoke to that sickening feeling of falling... only, it wasn't just a feeling.

It took me a moment to realize that the phantom-falling feeling had been real. I had actually begun to fall from my current position, and would have, if not for the hand on my upper arm, holding me in place.

_"Danielle?"_

Speaking of current position...

_What the hell am I doing back on the pony? _

_"Danielle?"_

Looking to my right, I found _"Legolas"_ holding my upper arm, looking at me with concern.

"_How the hell_ did you guys get me up here, and how on earth did I not wake up from it?"

Not sure how to translate my words, _"Legolas"_ addressed me again, loosening his hold on my arm, slightly.

_"Danielle? Have you regained your balance?"_

Catching onto the fact that he wished to release my arm, I found my balance, and nodded to him with a small thank you.

_Saved me from dying in the forest at the hands of crazy people, from starvation and dehydration, from falling off the pony... I'm going to owe the nine of you so much that in a hundred lifetimes I still wouldn't be able to pay it back to you... _

When we finally stopped for dinner, we made camp for the night. _"Legolas"_ and _"Strider"_ had gone out, with their weapons, I assume, to scout out the area and hunt. I set my 'bed' out near a tree, deciding that another nap might be a good idea before dinner. Sometime later, _"Strider"_ awoke me and I joined the others at the fire. The sun was just beginning to set, and the sky was alight with orange, pink, and purple hues. I looked down as something was placed in my lap.

"Wha?" I looked to _"Strider"_ next to me, and then back down at the plate. "I can eat meat now?"

_"Slowly"_

I knew that word well enough. _'Slow', not fast... if you eat too fast it'll be taken away._ I smiled slightly as I remembered the fiasco with the 'sugar water' upon our first meeting.

It took me a long time to eat, but I was enjoying the taste of meat, after going so long without it. I was so absorbed with making sure that I was eating slow enough, so not to have the delicious protein taken away, that I did not notice _"Legolas"_'s and _"Boromir"_'s departure, until after I had finished eating. Deciding that I was too tired to stay up any longer, I thanked everyone, and turned in for the night.

* * *

The next few days of travel were very similar to the first. Usually, we ate breakfast before breaking camp, and continued our travels before dawn. I had resigned to riding the pony until told otherwise. My butt was sore, but at least my feet didn't hurt and I wasn't exhausted from walking. Lunch, a combination of nuts, fruit, and bread, was usually eaten on the road. As the day became late, we would find a place to camp, eat dinner, and then turn in for the night.

I didn't mind the travel, and was even beginning to get used to the communication barrier. If I wanted to talk, I would talk. To who or what did not matter anymore. I think the guys even started enjoying listening to conversations I had with myself while using different voices. They might not have been able to understand what I was saying, but they did understand the tone is was said in, and could interpret my facial expressions pretty well. I've caught all of them, at the very least, shaking their heads in amusement during, or after, one of my monologues.

Unfortunately, yesterday and today everyone was keeping completely silent. I knew it was a good idea to avoid attracting predators, but I was starting to get worried with how often _"Boromir", "Legolas", and "Aragorn"_ seemed to leave the group. Everyone was getting tense, but with the communication barrier, I had no idea, and had no way of finding out, why.

Today we stopped for lunch and the group began to set up camp within a lightly forested area-a nice break from the normal routine if you ask me. It would be so nice to spend today off of the pony and sitting around the campfire. After setting out my bed, I went to the growing fire. _"Legolas", "Strider", "Boromir", "Gimli", _and_ "Gandalf" _were all deep in conversation.

_"So yer goin' to leave the lass with a family the two of you know?"_

_"Yes, they are good people and it will not be a strenuous burden for them to take her in"_

_"How do you know they will even consider the matter? Even while within the walls of Minas Tirith, not many families would be willing to take a stranger in -regardless of whomever asked them to do so"_

_"Boromir speaks a valid point. In these lands their is little protection from danger and not even the well known visitors receive welcome. I have traveled these lands for many years, and the town's hospitality has not changed"_

_"As Legolas said before, they are good people. I would be shocked if they refused, especially considering they promised to aid us if the need ever arose..."_

_"Askin' a family to take in another is no small favor-"_

_"It equals that of which was done for them. They will not refuse"_

At some point, I had managed to doze off again, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the woods and the crackling fire. When I awoke, lunch was minutes away from being ready.

_I really need to stop dozing off..._

Despite the fact that I had been eating rabbit or dear for the past week, the meat still smelled and tasted just as good as it had that first day I was allowed to eat it, again.

_Must be the protein, because the same thing has happened with the nuts..._

There was conversation during lunch, but unlike the normal days, this one had me a little worried. It was very obvious that it was about me.

_"Aragorn and I are taking her to a family we know, in one of the nearby towns. She will be safe with them and the head of house may be able to help her find her way back home"_

_"You mean she's leaving?"_

"_Yes, Pippin. We cannot keep her with us"_

_"Well, I know that. Mordor is no place for a woman. None the less, she has been interestin' company"_

_"Perhaps for you, Pip. You didn't have her approach you while-"_

_"Don't get your trousers in a bunch, Merry! You know that was an accident"_

_"Well it cannot happen if she is not here, so I'll be glad for her departure!"_

_"You have to admit, Merry, listenin' to her speak to, and recite thin's to herself is quite funny"_

_"I never said that it wasn't. I'm simply sayin', I would like to avoid the possibility of another forest incident"_

_"Legolas, you're sure that this family will take care of her? And will treat her properly?"_

_"Yes, Pippin. Aragorn and I have known this family for over two generations"_

_"Oh, good."_

_"Do you really believe that we could leave her with just anyone, Pippin?"_

_"It'd make things a 'ole lot easier if ya would"_

___"I meant no offense, Strider. I just want to know she's goin' to be safe. It'd be a shame for somethin' to happen to her now that we've put so much time into seein' her well"_

_"I must agree with Gimli... the girl has already cost us precious time"_

_"But that would be terribly cruel! Don't you agree, Mr. Frodo? I didn't think we were the type of men capable such indecency..."_

_"I ne'er said we were. But considerin' the nature of our task, it may be wiser to disregard decency and continue with our quest... if we fail, it won't matter where the lass ends up..."_

_"How can we say 'good bye' to her, Strider?"_

_"You cannot"_

_"Surely the two of you have some sort of sign that means 'leaving' or 'good bye' or some form of farewell?"_

_"Yes, however she cannot know that she is leaving this group"_

_"Why?" _

_"It will frighten her. It is better that she does not know until we have arrived to the family"_

_"But won't she be just as upset?"_

_"In some ways, yes. However if you were to tell her now, she would not know what her future holds. As far as she can tell, we are simply keeping her with us for our own selfish reasons-"_

_"She can't believe that after all this time, can she?"_

_"She doesn't know, Pippin, and we have no way of telling her. She could translate a simple 'good bye' into 'we are going to kill you' depending on the circumstances. No, it is better that she sees whom she is going to be with before being told that she is leaving"_

I had thought that I would be glad when lunch ended, but things had only gotten worse. _"Legolas"_ and _"Strider"_ had adorned their weapons and were leaving again. This time however, I was to go with them.

My mind raced with questions.

_What is going on? Where are they taking me?_

As we continued deeper, and deeper, into the woods, my panic grew, and I could feel myself becoming light headed.

_Where are they taking me? Have I finally become too much of a burden for them? _

_Are they going to leave me out here?_

As if those thoughts weren't bad enough, the next made me freeze in place, heart pounding.

_Are they going to kill me?_

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!

Sorry for any editing issues-if you see something please point it out. The last half of this is not edited... at all.

**Author's Note! (Please read!)**_  
_

**3/29/12- Hey! So, I'm extremely busy and have nearly no time for writing (I graduate in December!) I apologize in advance, my stories might be updated once or twice between now and the end of the year. ****I'm taking summer classes (four at a university and one at a community college), have a full schedule planned for the fall semester (which includes marching band!), I'm starting my lab internship (which will continue through December), am needed to help the marching band uniform manager prepare for the season, I am the manager for the marching band's 'community service' coordinators (and we have big changes planned for this year), need to get a job, take the GRE, research and apply to masters programs, and eventually spend some time with my family, just to list a few...**

**... so yeah, updates are not looking good this year. My apologies, but I can't wait to start another chapter of my life, and frankly, that story, is my absolute favorite. :) When I have time to write I will, but please don't get your hopes up-I really am way too busy.**

**I hope everyone has a nice summer!**


	10. A Change in Plans

Woo! I'm back! Finally after a half a year I'm back! Hey, I did warn ya...

Anyhoo, stupid class issues have backed up my graduation to Spring 2013 but, I might have a mentor for that semester, so I'm not complaining. The only thing I'm really worried about is money- I'm not sure how to afford the semester at the moment.

I've started another story as well, though this one is in the Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core fandom. Similar idea to this one, but with a bit of a twist. It is and will be much more humor based :) Danielle also is making a guest appearance (briefly) in it, if you were interested in checking it out :)

**Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorite-ed, and/or alerted. Your support means the world, and the reviews feed the muse. Thank you!**

In regards to this and my other works, the story is the same as usual. Updates are and will remain sporadic.

Just a reminder;

Narration

_Danielle's thoughts_

_"non-english language"_

_**Warning: **Dissection of a frog is discussed in semi detail in this chapter when Danielle is reciting random facts and reminiscing on a lab class...  
_

Enjoy!

Chapter: A Change in Plans...

* * *

___"Strider"_ and ___"Legolas"_ must have heard me stop, since they stopped walking and turned to face me.

_"Danielle?"_

_They wouldn't do that would they? They wouldn't kill me after putting so much effort into getting me better, it would have been a waste of their resources..._

_"Danielle, we need to keep moving"_

I looked up as _"Strider" _approached me. Aside from the obvious question in his eyes, I couldn't read any of his intentions. Thinking on my situation a moment longer, I decided that they were not going to kill me. It just simply didn't make sense.

_But what then? _

I spoke before _"Strider"_ had a chance to reach me, "Sorry, I'm coming" I said, as I resumed walking. As I walked, I tried to figure out their intentions.

_Are they just going to leave me out in the middle of nowhere?_

It certainly wouldn't be hard for them to do. They were good enough that if they wanted to simply disappear, I wouldn't be able to find them even if they were ten feet from me. I don't know a lot about being stealthy or covering your tracks, but I do know talent when I see it, and being 'invisible' was a talent for the majority of the males I was traveling with, especially the two I was currently following.

_No, that wouldn't make sense either. It's practically the same as a death sentence. I obviously have no clue what I'm doing, and have no way to defend myself. _

Discarding the idea, I continued my thinking.

_Are they going to leave me with someone?_

Well, of all of my ideas so far that definitely made the most sense. Their efforts wouldn't have gone to waste, and I would be off of their hands. But who would they leave me with?

_The first person they see..._

And cynical me is back again... let the internal arguing commence...

_I don't think they'd do that... they don't seem like the type of people that would._

_But, you've been with them for a while now, I wouldn't blame them if that is what they did._

_That's not far off from just leaving me in the middle of nowhere, they won't do that._

_How do you know?_

_They won't do that._

_Maybe they'll sell you to someone._

I tripped on something with that thought. Catching my self on the tree next to me, I did my best to put on a smile for the two that had looked back at the sound, "Sorry, wasn't paying attention. I'm fine".

_They wouldn't do that. _

_How do you know? They don't know what you were running from that night. They could sell you and earn back some of what they've lost caring for you..._

I couldn't think of a more optimistic response to that. The reasoning was sound, and I was left with relying on their hearts being kinder then that for such a thing to not be my fate. Given how old fashioned their culture appeared to be, even if they didn't want to do such a thing, they might not be able to afford not to. I know I had cost them a lot of time and resources. Suddenly, _"Legolas"_ stopped and turned to _"Strider"_.

_"Aragorn, do you smell that?"_

_"No. What is it?"_

_"Smoke, coming from the direction of the village"_

_"As in 'too much' for village activity?"_

_"Yes"_

I looked between the two men. We had been walking for a while now, but neither _"Strider"_ nor _"Legolas"_ had spoken, and their last few word to each other put a grim expression on both their faces.

_"I should go on and scout ahead. If the village is under attack, we will be unable to protect her with just the two of us"_

_"Be cautious Legolas, and do not engage if they still fight. I would rather not come looking for you with her in tow"_

_"Fret not, my friend. I will not be long... Perhaps the two of you should rest here. She looks a little tired, and the further she is from danger, the better" _

_"Very well, Legolas. We will await your return here. If you are not back by the time the sun is three parts through its daytime cycle, I will come looking for you, with her in tow"_

_"I shall return before then, farewell my friend"_

I'm not two sure what had transpired, but _"Legolas" _left as soon as it was done. Jogging quickly away in the direction we were heading, I quickly lost track of his form in the dense trees. Once he was out of sight, _"Strider"_turned to me and signed that we were stopping to rest.

"Okay" I nodded, as I moved to sit with my against a tree. Across from me, _"Strider"_ had done the same. I twiddled my thumbs for a little before advancing to a thumb war between my left and right thumbs. I was a little disappointed to find it nowhere near as entertaining as a thumb war match with another person. Sometime later, when I looked up again, I noticed _"Strider" _ was polishing the dagger he carries in his belt, a common activity for him when we are resting somewhere. I watched him for a moment before speaking again.

"Where did _"Legolas"_ head off to?"I asked, getting his attention. I repeated the question when he looked up, signing 'Where,_ "Legolas"_ ' to him as I did so. His response was a shake of his head, indicating either 'no', 'I don't know' or 'don't worry about it', I presume it was the latter.

We were both silent following that brief exchange. To pass the time, I began silently reciting random things to myself.

"The only way to kill bacterial endospores is to use an autoclave- high heat, pressure, and steam are required... mold is a super organism- it can go many years without water, appear to be dead, and then will 'magically' return to life with a sufficient amount of water added to it... dinoflagellates cause red tide, which is toxic. Don't go swimming if the water looks weird..."

_'Don't go swimming if the water looks weird?' I must be more tired then I thought, surely I can come up with a better phrase then that..._

"When dissecting a frog's leg, the neural reactions are still so powerful, even after a half hour after death, that the leg can physically 'jump' when the muscle is cut, even when detached from the remainder of the body..."

_... It's not obvious at all that I'm a biology major... nope, not at all... _

I smiled to myself with that thought. Of all the things I could be thinking of, I'm thinking of my classes. In all seriousness though, that frog lab was awesome. We (the class) were testing the sciatic nerve in the leg- the first time the leg jumped (when I was attempting to cut the thigh muscles from the femur bone), I was so startled I almost dropped the thing. After I got over my shock however, I was simply amazed- even detached from the body, the nerves in the leg still reacted to certain stimuli. The eukaryotic body is incredible, and this lab was another powerful testament to that.

_"Life" is incredible. Any living thing is simply amazing if you just take the time to learn about it... _

At some point during my little trip down memory lane,_"Strider"_ had stopped polishing the dagger and was searching through his pack. After a moment he stopped his search and pulled out the water-skin he was carrying. He brought it over to me, offering me a drink.

_"Legolas should be returning soon"_ He spoke while I drank. _"We will know our heading when he tells us of the situation"_

"Thank you" I said, after handing the water-skin back to him. It's funny, even though we know the other doesn't understand when we speak in our own language, we both maintain a little bit of small talk with close interactions like that. It would be two weird not to...

_"Strider"_ returned to his place, and after taking a drink for himself, returned the water-skin to his pack. I decided to amuse myself by trying to remove the dirt from under my nails- It wasn't an easy task. Normally my fingernails are relatively long and healthy, but with all of the traveling (not to mention nearly starving to death earlier), my nails had broken off and were short an uneven. Without anything to help get under the nail, cleaning them was a lost cause.

It wasn't long before "Legolas" returned. He and _"Strider"_spoke for a minute, deep in conversation. Whatever they were discussing both had them very troubled.

_"The town is destroyed. Judging by the remains, it was an attack from an orc pack-a large one"_

_"Were there any survivors?"_

_"No"_

_"Valar! May the deceased rest in peace..."_

_"Estel, we will need to return to camp for the night"_

_"Indeed, it would be folly to head further with that orc pack about"_

_"You seek counsel with the others for our next move?"_

_"Yes, we cannot keep her with us. Many of the other villages stray from our planned route. We will need to adjust the course of the company even if we repeat this venture with the three of us"_

_"Let us return, then. Night will not await our tarrying, and the orcs will be riled from their recent pillage. We need to warn the others"_

After they had finished speaking, _"Strider"_ turned and addressed me.

_"We need to return to camp. Let us be off"_ He spoke while signing, 'follow' to me.

Much to my surprise, we turned and headed back towards the direction of camp. It seemed that there had been a change in plans, or at the very least, intended direction.

_Great. Confuse me even more while your at it._

* * *

A while later we, much to my surprise, returned to camp. I don't know what the point of that little trip was, but I'm guessing that what ever news _"Legolas" _had brought had changed the original plans. The others looked confused with my presence, so my resolve in my 'Danielle is leaving now' theory grew. On the bright side, there was food cooking over the fire- and judging by the smell of it, it was almost done.

_ "__Boromir"_ spoke first,_ "What is the meaning of this?"._

_"What happened to leaving her in the village?" _

_"Peace, my friends" "Strider"_ responded. _"Plans have changed. We cannot leave her in the village, Pippin, because the is no village to leave her too. Let us eat, first. Legolas and I will explain after supper"  
_

Dinner was eaten quickly, and the men resumed their conversation. I remained at the fire while they spoke, acting like I wasn't listening. I was desperately trying to understand what they were saying- today's little trip had been unnerving and I wanted to know what they were planning. I stared into the flames, not really seeing, as I desperately thought of the most recent events and what they meant for me.

_"What do you mean there is no village? I thought you said there was a family you could leave her with"_

_"We did say so, Merry, and there was a village there once. Legolas scouted ahead when he smelt heavy smoke on the air, only to find the town pillaged and burned- there were no survivors"_

_"Are ya sayin' laddie, that orcs were responsible for this?"_

_"Yes, a large pack that is still in the area. We will need to put out the fire before nightfall- we have risked too much as it is"_

_"What do you plan to do with her, then? She cannot continue to travel with us"_

_"There are many villages between here and the Mountains, Boromir. Someone will be able to take her"_

_"You assume, Gandalf, that these villages have not also suffered the same fate as Carakvanya(1)"_

_"I don't understand why we didn't just take her back to Rivendell. We were only three days from it when you and Legolas found her, Strider"_

_"We considered it, Merry, but we were unable too because of the orc activity around us. Had we returned to the valley, we may have given away our position- it was better to keep our company together and stay hidden until things died down"_

_"But the elven warriors cleared the way before we left..."_

_"They did Merry, but there were many more packs in the area than any of us expected. And they were moving quickly. With that in mind, Gandalf and I agreed that it would be best to leave her in one of the human villages we would be passing, rather than returning where we started"_

_"Well what villages then, would you take 'er too, laddie? __Korin Yuula(2) 'as strong defenses for a village its size, it may still stand"_

_"Astokemen (3) an' Kuune Agaru (4) are also stable establishments. You could take 'er to one of them"_

___"Astokemen and Kuune Agaru no longer stand- they were destroyed in the raids two years back. Korin Yuula is to far out of the way..."_

___"What about Ruidtal(5)?"_

___"I would not take her there, the _Corsairs have taken over that town- she would be sold into slavery"

_"I know of no other towns in the area..."_

_"Aragorn, say we take her to Firi MaRulma(6)? Aharosa(7), of the House of Laiveianter(8), may be able to take her in"_

_"It has been many years since we've seen that family, Legolas. Would it be right for us to ask such of them?"_

_"Given the circumstances, my friend, I do not think we have much of an option- less we leave her with total strangers. At the very least, it will not be a financial strain for them to take her in"_

_"Very well, Legolas and I will take her to Firi MaRulma first thing tomorrow. We will meet the rest of you at the Agarukorin(9) and we shall begin our trek upon Caradhras after midday. Get some rest"_

_"I will keep watch tonight. All of you, get some sleep. No orc will trouble us this night"_

_"Thank you, Legolas"_

The fire was put out after the conversation was finished. Thankfully the light from the moon was enough to see by. Catching the drift of 'time to sleep' with everyone going to their respective 'beds', I headed over to mine- which had been moved closer to the original circle. I'm guessing it was packed up originally when I left, and then placed out sometime between my return and now- I obviously completely missed that happening.

Laying down in my bed, I reviewed my thoughts while the men talked. They obviously were getting rid of me, and were probably going to do so by leaving me with someone. Wherever we were headed today was supposed to start that process, but for some reason, plans changed. Judging by the lack of fire, which was usually kept low throughout the night, there was something unsavory about.

With the uncertainty of my future before me, I struggled to fall asleep. Many of the others had fallen asleep when I thought again of home- if their slowed breathing and occasional snoring were anything to go by. Quietly I began to cry to myself as I thought of my sisters, parents, and the dog. I wanted to go home- I wanted to stop being so scared and uncertain of what the next day would hold.

I don't think I kept anyone up, thankfully. The last thing I wanted to try and translate into our little sign language was that I was homesick and scared. Eventually, I fell asleep, my heart heavy with sadness, uncertainty, and fear.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!**

The villages listed below are just made up places/human dwellings/ land marks in the lands around the mountains...

(1)Carakvanya - roughly in common, fair fang; it is the city that Legolas and Aragorn were going to take Danielle too.

(2) Korin Yuula - enclosure ember

(3) Astokemen- dust earth

(4) Kuune Agaru - crimsion cresent

(5) Ruidtal - Glade city

(6) Firi MaRulma - Mortal muttering

Names...

(7) Aharosa - rage rain, head of the Laiveianter houshold

(8) Laiveianter - old ointment one; reference to the name of the original founder of the house and the household trade (healing).

(9) Agarukorin - crimsion enclosure, a land mark at the base of Caradhras


End file.
